Entity management method and system using wireless devices

ABSTRACT

A method of providing information about a plurality of entities within a cash processing centre, the method comprising coupling a first entity with a first wireless device, coupling a second entity with a second wireless device, reading data associated with both the first and second wireless devices, pairing data associated with both the first and second wireless devices and retrieving information concerning the relationship between the first entity and the second entity based on the pairing. The entities are typically objects within the centre and the wireless devices are transmitters and/or receivers.

The present invention relates to a vault management system for a cashprocessing centre. In particular, the present invention relates tosystems and methods of efficiently managing entities within a cashprocessing centre using wireless devices.

The management of cash and other articles of value is vital for thefunctioning of a healthy modern economy. Often the processing andmanagement of cash and other articles of value is unseen by the consumeryet plays an important role in a variety of sectors including retail,banking, gaming, and government. Most forms of management involvecontrolling and securing the circulation of cash, such as banknotes andcoins, and other articles of value such as cheques, tokens or bonds.

The circulation of cash is typically centred on the secure deposit andstorage of quantities of currency. This process is typically performedat one or more secure storage areas or vaults. These vaults may be asafe or physically secure building. Cash and other articles of value aredeposited into a vault and then subsequently retrieved from the vaultwhen required. Each vault may be owned and managed by a bank or cashmanagement company. The vault is typically integrated into a larger cashprocessing centre which is further responsible for handling andverifying cash deposits and preparing cash withdrawals for delivery tocustomers. A cash processing centre will operate in association withcash in transit (CIT) organisations which are responsible for thesecurity of the cash to and from the centre.

For example, a large retail establishment, at the end of a period oftrading, will typically accrue a quantity of cash and other articles ofvalue through retail transactions. As it is impractical and unsafe tokeep this cash on the retail premises the cash will typically be sent toa cash processing centre, such as a bank or central deposit, using a CIToperator. The cash processing centre is then responsible for receivingthe cash from the CIT operator and storing it in a safe location. Oncethe quantities of cash have been verified and stored, the verified totalof the deposited cash may be credited to the bank account of the retailestablishment. In a similar manner, at the beginning of a period oftrading, a retail establishment may order a certain quantity of cash tostock the tills or points of sale. This cash will typically be providedby a suitable cash processing centre nearby. At a time stipulated by thecash order the required quantity of cash will be retrieved from thevault and sent to the retail establishment using a CIT operator. Oncethe cash has been retrieved from the vault and verified it may then bedebited from the bank account of the retail establishment. The sameprocesses are also used by high street banks and post offices.

When operating a cash processing centre there are several inherentproblems. The first of these is the difficulty in keeping track andcontrol of all the deposits and orders that flow through the vault. Forexample, a medium to large cash deposit centre may hold thousands if notmillions of pounds in a vault at any one time. With such largequantities of cash it is very easy for orders and deposits to be lost orfor cash to be stolen by unscrupulous employees or malicious parties. Asthe cash processing centre would be liable to pay out for any shortfallsin cash amount there is thus a requirement to keep track of all depositsand to prevent theft and loss.

A second problem that arises when dealing with cash processing, andwhich especially arises with large quantities of cash, is how to processdeposits and orders in the quickest possible time. Quick processing isessential in order to prevent cash shortages in the customers requiringcash and also to prevent backlogs within the cash processing centreitself. Many cash processing centres are often constrained by the hoursof opening of modern retailers and banks. For example, it is preferablefor customers to send cash amounts for deposit after closing in theevening and receive cash orders before opening in the morning.Additionally, much cash processing occurs when customers are closed onthe weekend. Hence there is a requirement to quickly perform a depositand process cash orders within the cash processing centre, not only toreduce costs, but to keep the supply of cash fluid.

A third problem when dealing with cash processing in a cash processingcentre is how to efficiently manage a large number of transactionswhilst minimising the cash held on site. Modern large cash processingcentres can receive hundreds of orders and hundreds of deposits everyday requiring large amounts of available stock. If a large stock isrequired this will increase the attractiveness of the centre to thievesas well as require large amounts of space to be physically secured.

Unfortunately, most cash processing centres involving a vault operatedusing antiquated technology and procedures which are not able to addressthe above problems and are not able to keep up with the demands of amodern economy.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of providing information about a plurality of entities within acash processing centre, the method comprising:

-   -   coupling a first entity with a first wireless device;    -   coupling a second entity with a second wireless device;    -   reading data associated with both the first and second wireless        devices;    -   pairing data associated with both the first and second wireless        devices;

and

-   -   retrieving information concerning the relationship between the        first entity and the second entity based on the pairing.

Such a method uses wireless technology to obtain information relating totwo entities within a cash processing centre. The entities may be,amongst others, people, machines, computers, articles of value orcontainers, e.g. any objects or items that have a role within thecentre. Coupling an entity with a wireless device may involve physicallyassociating the entity with the device, for example, by attaching orelectrically connecting the wireless device to the entity. The wirelessdevices may comprise wireless transmitters, receivers or transceiversand may use any known wireless technology, such as radio frequencycommunication.

Such a method enables greater control over entities within a cashprocessing centre and facilitates their management. The method alsoenables information detailing a relationship between two entities to beretrieved automatically without human intervention, for example data maybe read automatically using radio frequency transceivers and may beautomatically processed in conjunction with an external database toretrieve pertinent information. Such a method is important when both thefirst and second entities belong to respective groups with a largenumber of respective entities, for example, thousands of containers andhundreds of trolleys or hundreds of employees and hundreds of clientworkstations. In this situation, there may be many multiple pairings andso both entities need to be identified.

The step of reading data may comprise reading data from the firstwireless device and reading data from the second wireless device,wherein said data may comprise identifiers identifying the device. Incertain embodiments, it may not be necessary to read an identifier fromthe second device, for example if its identity is known implicitly byits location within or upon the second entity. In this case the pairingmay also be implicit. If the first wireless device is a transmitter andthe second wireless device is a receiver, the data associated with thefirst device, such as a first identifier, may be read from the seconddevice, together with data from the second device. The step of pairingdata may comprise pairing the data read from the first wireless devicewith data read from the second wireless device, for example to produce atuple. This tuple may be used in a database query to retrieveinformation concerning the relationship between the two entities, suchas the distance between the two entities, whether the first entity isstored on or with the second entity or whether the first entity isauthorised to use the second entity. Pairing may cover combining datafrom both devices in a single data item or may comprise recording dataindicating that there is a link between the two entities.

In one embodiment, the first entity comprises a container for storingarticles of value and the second entity comprises storage means for oneor more containers. In this case, the method may further comprise:storing data comprising the properties of one or more articles of value,for example count, denomination, authentication or fitness informationobtained using a banknote counter; associating said data with the firstentity, for example, indexing the data using a unique identifierassigned to the first entity; storing the first entity on or within thesecond entity; and retrieving information comprising the cumulativeproperties of the articles stored on or within the second entity basedon the pairing, for example, the total value of all articles of value onthe storage means, or the number of counterfeit notes within the storagemeans. This last step may be achieved by looking up data relating to thestorage means using a second identifier read from the wireless device ofthe storage means, such as name and location data, processing propertydata retrieved using a first identifier read from the wireless device ofthe container and displaying the aforementioned data to an operator.

In one embodiment, the first entity comprises one or more articles ofvalue and the second entity comprises a unit adapted to store articlesof value. In this case, the step of retrieving information may compriseretrieving information indicating that the first entity is stored uponthe second entity.

In another embodiment, the first wireless device comprises a wirelesstransmitter configured to transmit a first identifier; the secondwireless device comprises a wireless receiver having a secondidentifier; and the step of reading data comprises: transmitting thefirst identifier from the wireless transmitter; receiving the firstidentifier using the wireless receiver; and reading the first identifierreceived by the wireless receiver from the wireless receiver togetherwith the second identifier, which may be stored within memory within thereceiver.

In certain embodiments, the method further comprises determining signalcharacteristics associated with the received identifier and using thefirst identifier, the second identifier and the signal characteristicsto determine the location of the first entity. In this case, the tupleof paired data is used by a processing system to retrieve informationcomprising the distance of the first entity from the second entity.

The above method may further comprise receiving the first identifierusing one or more additional wireless receivers associated withrespective additional entities, said wireless receivers havingrespective identifiers; pairing the first identifier, second identifierand the one or more additional identifiers, possibly to produce a largertuple; and using the pairing to determine the location of the firstentity, for example using triangulation techniques. Such a method mayalso comprise determining signal characteristics associated with eachreceived identifier; and using the signal characteristics together withthe pairing to determine the location of the first entity. This methodmay be regularly repeated to dynamically locate the first entity. Thesecond entity and further entities may comprise directional receivers.

The first entity may be one of: a cage, a scanning device, an employee,one or more articles of value, a container, a trolley, or a banknotesorter.

When wireless transmitters and receivers are used the step of retrievinginformation may comprise determining whether the first entity isauthorised to be paired with the second entity and if not generating analert. In this case data identifying both the first and second entitiesmay be read from wireless devices attached to said entities. This datamay be paired and sent to a database to look up a relationship betweenthe entities, for example, whether the first entity was allowed to beused with or placed upon the second entity.

In certain embodiments, the first entity may comprise an operator or auser within the cash processing centre and the step of retrievinginformation may comprise authenticating the operator using the firstidentifier, i.e. retrieving information using a tuple containing thefirst identifier to identify the first entity in a database.

In the method above, the second entity may comprise a device for use inthe cash processing centre and the step of retrieving informationfurther may comprise if the operator is authenticated, retrieving userdata associated with the operator and based on the user data,determining whether the operator is authorised to use the device, i.e.using the second identifier to identify the second entity in thedatabase and then, once identified, looking for predeterminedconfigurable relationship information concerning the particular twoentities. This method may further comprise, if the operator isauthorised, allowing access to the device, or if not, denying access tothe device and optionally generating an alert. The step of determiningwhether the operator is authorised to use the device may comprisedetermining whether the operator is authorised to use any furtherdevices connected to the device; and if so, allowing access to theauthorised further devices.

The device may comprise one of: a banknote counter or sorter, a clientcomputing device, or a handheld electronic device.

The wireless devices may comprise radio frequency identificationdevices.

The first entity may belong to a first group of entities and the secondentity may belong to a second group of entities.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda system for providing information about plurality of entities within acash processing centre comprising:

-   -   a first wireless device coupled to a first entity;    -   a second wireless device coupled to a second entity; and    -   a processor adapted to:        -   read data associated with both the first and second wireless            devices;        -   pair data associated with both the first and second wireless            devices; and        -   retrieve information concerning the relationship between the            first entity and the second entity based on the pairing.

The first entity may comprise a container for storing articles of value;and the second entity may comprise storage means for one or morecontainers. In this case, the processor may be further adapted toretrieve information comprising the cumulative properties of thearticles stored on or within the second entity based on the pairing,optionally from a database coupled to the processor.

Alternatively, the first entity may comprise one or more articles ofvalue and the second entity may comprise a unit adapted to storearticles of value. In this case, the processor may be further adapted toretrieve information indicating that the first entity is stored upon thesecond entity.

In one embodiment, the first wireless device comprises a wirelesstransmitter configured to transmit a first identifier and the secondwireless device comprises a wireless receiver having a secondidentifier. In this case the processor may be further adapted to read afirst identifier received from the second wireless device, together withthe second identifier of said device, and pair said identifiers.

In a first variation, the processor is further adapted to receive signalcharacteristics associated with the received first identifier; andprocess the first identifier, the second identifier and the signalcharacteristics to determine the location of the first entity. In thiscase, the system may further comprise one or more additional wirelessreceivers associated with respective additional entities, said wirelessreceivers having respective additional identifiers. The processor maythen be further adapted to receive one or more copies of the firstidentifier as received by one or more of the additional wirelessreceivers, together with the additional identifiers of said receivers,pair the first identifier, second identifier and the one or moreadditional identifiers; and determine the location of the first entityusing the pairing. In certain implementations, the processor is adaptedto also receive signal characteristics from each wireless receiver; andprocess the signal characteristics together with the pairing todetermine the location of the first entity, possibly repeating theprocessing steps at regular intervals to dynamically update the locationof the first entity. The wireless receivers may comprise directionalreceivers and the processor may be adapted to determine the location ofthe first entity using triangulation. In this case, as well as readingidentifiers from the devices, extra information such as the signalstrength of the received first identifier, as received by a wirelessreceiver identified by a second identifier is read. In this case, theprocessor may retrieve further information from a location processingmodule or from another process being implemented by the processor.

The first entity may be one of: a cage, a scanning device, an employee,one or more articles of value, a container, a trolley, or a banknotesorter.

The system may further comprise a database, for example a databasecomprising authorisation data. The processor may then be adapted toaccess the database to determine whether the first entity is authorisedto be paired with the second entity; and if not generate an alert. Inthis case, the information concerning the relationship comprises theauthorisation data.

In a particular embodiment, the first entity comprises an operatorwithin the cash processing centre and/or the second entity comprises adevice for use in the cash processing centre. The system may thenfurther comprise authorisation/authentication stored in a database. Theprocessor may then be further adapted to access the database toauthenticate the operator using the first identifier and/or retrieveauthorisation data associated with the operator from the database if theoperator is authenticated. Based on the authorisation data, it can bedetermined whether the operator is authorised to use the device. Theprocessor may be further adapted to: allow access to the device if theoperator is authorised, or deny access to the device if the operator isnot authorised; and optionally generate an alert if the operator is notauthenticated and/or authorised.

The device may comprise one of: a banknote counter or sorter, a clientcomputing device, or a handheld electronic device.

The system may also further comprise one or more further devicesconnectable to the second entity and the processor may be furtheradapted to, based on the authorisation data, determine whether theoperator is authorised to use any of said further devices and allowaccess to any connected further devices if the operator is authorised.

According to certain embodiments a method of tracking one or morearticles within a cash processing centre, the cash processing centrecomprising a plurality of receivers for radio frequency communicationmay be provided. This method comprises:

-   -   a. coupling a radio frequency identification device to an        article, the radio frequency identification device having an        unique identifier;    -   b. receiving a radio frequency signal from the radio frequency        identification device at at least two receivers, the radio        frequency signal comprising the unique identifier;    -   c. using the received radio frequency signal, together with the        received unique identifier, to determine the location of the        radio frequency identification device; and    -   d. updating the location of the article based on the location of        the radio frequency identification device.

In some embodiments the method above uses trilateration, wherein thecash processing centre comprises at least three receivers for radiofrequency communication and the method further comprises: receiving aradio frequency signal from the radio frequency identification device atat least three access points; and using the signal strength of thereceived radio frequency signal received at each receiver, together withthe received unique identifier, to determine the location of the radiofrequency identification device. In other embodiments the receiverscomprise directional receivers and step c) comprises determining thelocation of the radio frequency device using triangulation. The locatedarticle may be one of: a cage, a scanning device, an employee, one ormore articles of value, a container, a trolley, or a banknote sorter.

According to certain embodiments there is provided a storage unit forcontainers for use in a cash processing centre, the containerscontaining one or more articles of value, the storage unit comprising:

-   -   a storage area for one or more containers,

the storage unit characterized by:

-   -   one or more radio frequency reading devices configured to        wirelessly read data from a radio frequency identification        device;    -   wherein, in use, each container has an associated radio        frequency identification device, the radio frequency        identification device storing data associated with properties of        the articles of value within the container; and    -   in use, the properties of any articles of value stored upon the        storage unit may be retrieved by processing data read by the one        or more radio frequency reading devices.

According to certain embodiments there is provided a method of trackingarticles of value within a cash processing centre comprising:

-   -   a. coupling one or more articles of value with a first radio        frequency identification device;    -   b. coupling a unit adapted to store articles of value with a        second radio frequency identification device;    -   c. reading data associated with both the first and second radio        frequency devices; and    -   d. recording that the one or more articles of value are stored        upon the unit based on the read data.

Several examples of a number of methods and systems according to thepresent invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a process diagram of an exemplary cash processing cycleaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a process diagram of an exemplary extended cash processingcycle according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cash processing centreconfigured to implement the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram of an extended exemplary cash processingcentre configured to implement the second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 1E is a schematic diagram of an alternative extended exemplary cashprocessing centre configured to implement the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configurationfor implementing the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration toimplement the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary transfer processaccording to the first and second embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary acknowledgementprocess according to the first and second embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary cash reception processaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary cash depositoperation according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary count operationaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary cash order processingoperation according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary cash despatchoperation according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration ofa third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary deposit processingoperation according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary currency sorting machinefor implementing the exemplary deposit processing operation of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a typical stack of banknotes used inthe exemplary deposit processing operation of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary deposit processingoperation according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart demonstrating an exemplary processing operationaccording to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary radio frequencyidentification chip;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are diagrams respectively illustrating a front andside view of an exemplary storage unit for use within a cash processingcentre;

FIG. 16 is a diagram of an exemplary employee badge incorporating aradio frequency identification device;

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration ofa wireless trilateration system;

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary workstation running alocation module;

FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary tracking method usinga radio frequency identification device;

FIG. 20A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary system forauthenticating and authorising an employee using a radio frequencyidentification device; and

FIG. 20B is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary authentication andauthorisation method using the system of FIG. 20A.

FIG. 1A displays a number of processes involved in the management of avault within a cash processing centre according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention. The cash processing cycle 100 therein isconfigured to complement the typical physical layout of a cashprocessing centre. The cash processing centre may be run by a variety oforganisations. These include central banks, commercial banks, cash intransit (CIT) companies and transport and leisure companies. A schematicdiagram of the ground plan of an exemplary cash processing centre isshown in FIG. 1C. This ground plan is provided as an example only andother differing cash processing centre designs may also be used with themanagement processes of the present invention. Cash deposit centre 105comprises secure vault area 121, deposit area 111 and order processingarea 131. The secure vault area 121 may comprise, but is not limited to,a safe, a physically secure room or a physically secure area. Thedeposit area 111 is an area for preparing cash for deposit into thevault and the order processing area 131 is an area for preparing cashorders. The deposit area 111 and the order processing area 131 areseparated from the vault area 121 by a physical boundary 141. Physicalboundary 141 has two respective openings: entry point 116 into the vaultarea 121 and exit point 126 into the order processing area 131. Theseentry and exit points may be provided by one way doors or other suitablesecure gateway apparatus. Deposit area 111 may also be separated fromorder processing area 131 by physical boundary 142, although in someimplementations the two areas may comprise a single room.

The cash processing cycle 100 has three processes that are typicallyperformed in the three respective areas of FIG. 1C. However, it ispossible that all three processes may be carried out within the securedboundary of the vault. The cash processing cycle 100 first comprisesdeposit processing 110. This step is typically performed in the depositarea 111, wherein cash and other articles of value are prepared fordeposit into the vault or secure area 121. This preparation may involve:unloading cash from containers; counting, verification and validation;and preparing the cash in a suitable form for deposit, such as bundlingthe notes in set quantities of denominations. The articles for depositmay comprise articles of value such as coins, banknotes, cheques, tokensor bonds. The flow of cash into vault is illustrated by arrow 115. Thisrepresents the physical passage 117 of cash from the deposit area 111 tothe vault 121 via entry point 116. Boundary line 140 represents afigurative boundary between the stage of deposit processing 110 and thevault processing 120. Boundary line 140 may reflect the physicalboundary 141 between the deposit area 111 and the vault 120 or maysimply be a means of delimiting the two processes. The figurativeboundary is used as part of the transfer process described in relationto FIG. 3.

The cash processing cycle 100 next comprises vault processing 120. Atthis stage cash received by the vault 121, for example via entry point116, may be further counted, verified and validated and placed inbundles of denominations suitable for storage. The vault 121 maycomprise one or more cash deposit apparatus such as a TCR (Teller CashRecycler) Twinsafe or “Vertera” (TM) apparatus supplied by De La RueInternational. Alternatively, the vault 121 may comprise a regular safeor vault, wherein documents of value are routed in and out of the safeor vault by hand. In this case vault processing 120 may involvedepositing received cash into a suitable deposit apparatus. Cash remainsin the vault 121 until it is required to fulfil a cash order. At thispoint the vault processing 120 involves preparing the required amount ofcash to send for order processing 130. The flow of cash from the stageof vault processing 120 to the stage of order processing 130 isrepresented by arrow 125 and again involves the crossing of figurativeboundary 140. This transfer 125 may reflect the physical removal 127 ofcash from a safe or secure area 121 via exit point 126 and the transferof this cash across physical boundary 141 to the order processing area131.

The third stage of the cash processing cycle 100 is order processing130. At this stage, quantities of cash are prepared to supply customers,such as, amongst others, retailers and banks. A cash order may bescheduled regularly in the manner of a standing order or may be preparedindividually based on a received order. The quantity of cash receivedfrom the vault area 121 will typically be counted, bundled and placed insuitable containers or bags for delivery.

An example of suitable hardware that may be used to implement thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 2A. Vault management system 200comprises a vault management server 210 upon which the vault managementsoftware operates. The vault management server 210 is operably connectedto database 215. The database may be stored on one or more local orremote storage mediums or devices. Typically, vault management server210 comprises a standard hardware configuration running MicrosoftWindows 2000/2003 or an Oracle-supported host and database 215 comprisesan Oracle or SQL Server compatible database. However, any suitablesoftware platform known in the art may be used to implement theinvention. The processes used to generate data records and populate thevault management database are discussed subsequently. Sources of datainclude, but are not limited to, order forecasting systems, high-speedbanknote sorters, coin sorters, desktop banknote and coin sorters,document capture systems, CIT providers, remote bank and/or storelocations. The vault management database may also be adapted tointerface with internal or external accounting or data warehousingsystems.

Vault management server 210 typically further comprises a networkadapter to connect to a wired or wireless network 231, using standardssuch as Ethernet or 802.11g. Network 231 is typically a local areanetwork (LAN) covering the cash processing centre 105. In FIG. 2Anetwork 231 comprises a first network hub 235A connected to a secondnetwork hub 235B over a wide area network (WAN) 245. Vault managementserver 210 may be connected to first network hub 235A via a LANconnection as shown in FIG. 2A or alternatively may be located remotelyto the cash processing centre 105 and connected to first network hub235A via a WAN connection. The network 231 is presented as an exampleand any suitable form of network topology may be used in practice.Network hub 235A is connected to a number of networked devices 220 and230 and these network connections may also be wired or wireless usingknown protocols. The network may also be secured using methods known inthe art.

Networked devices 220 and 230 comprise networked client workstations220A and 220B. Such workstations are typically located in the areas ofthe cash processing centre 105 shown in FIG. 1C: for example workstation220A may be located in deposit area 111 and client workstation 220B maybe located in order area 131. Additional peripherals may also beconnected to client workstations 220. In FIG. 2A client workstation 220Ais connected to barcode reader 225 and client workstation 220B isconnected to print device 240. Any number of peripherals may beconnected to a client workstation using any known protocols.

A number of banknote counters 230 may also be connected to the network231, either through client workstations 220A and 220B or through using abanknote counter 230B with network capability, such as counter 230B,connected to the network 231 via network hub 235. These banknotecounters may be a 2600, EV86, Evolution™, nVision or Kalebra modelcounter manufactured by De La Rue International Limited or may be anysuitable one, two or three or more pocket counter that is adapted tocount, validate and/or process batches of banknotes. Networked banknotecounter 230B may be located in the any of the cash processing centreareas shown in FIG. 1C.

The example shown in FIG. 2A is for illustrative purposes only and thenumber of client workstations 220 and/or counting devices 230 may varyaccording to the particular cash deposit centre involved. For example,the deposit area 111 may comprise two or more client workstations 220Awherein each workstation is connected to a barcode reading device 225and a print device such as print device 240. Alternatively the depositarea 111 may comprise a plurality of banknote counters 230 all connectedto network 231.

Vault management system 200 may also comprise a remote clientworkstation 220C as shown in FIG. 2A. This is an optional feature andneed not be included in all implementations. This workstation isconnected to hub 235B which is connected to the network 231 via a widearea network 245 such as the Internet. Typically, security will beenforced by using a virtual private network (VPN) operating on top ofstandard communication protocols, such as TCP/IP. Client workstation220C then allows access to the vault management software running onserver 210 from a remote location.

Client devices 220 may be any suitable client device known in the art.For example each device could comprise: a personal computer, a thinclient workstation, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, acellular phone, a laptop, a multimedia device etc. Typically, such adevice comprises data processing and data transfer means. In thisdescription any functionality and/or interfaces provided by clientdevices 220 are assumed to be appropriately formatted for the hardwareof the device. For example, a graphical user interface (GUI) may beimplemented in Java with data supplied in eXtended Markup Language (XML)format; in which case there are known techniques to provide saidinterface and data on a variety of devices from a personal computer to acellular or mobile telephone.

The vault management system of the present invention is implementedusing a number of integrated software modules that correspond to each ofthe processing stages illustrated in FIG. 1A. For example, a systembased on FIG. 1A comprises three modules corresponding to stages 110,120 and 130. These software modules may be wholly or partly implementedas software processes or interfaces running on vault management server210. Each client workstation 220 is able to connect to the vaultmanagement server 210 and maybe a fat or thin client. Each moduletypically has its own user interface, typically a graphical userinterface (GUI), that is presented to an operator working upon one ofthe client workstations 220. Each workstation 220 may be restricted toonly show the GUI relevant to the area in which the workstation islocated, for example workstation 220A may be restricted to only show anoperator the GUI associated with the deposit processing module. Eachmodule allows the system to acquire data related to one of the threeprocessing stages, the data being acquired by processes performed by anoperator interfacing with the GUI of the relevant module.

As well as a suite of modules corresponding to each of the cashmanagement processes of FIG. 1A the vault management software may alsooptionally comprise a number of additional modules that enablecustomisable configuration and provide standing data used by the system.These modules may be one or more of: a security module for managing useraccess and authorisation levels; a definitions module to manageadministration of specific terminology and fixed data; a GUIconfiguration module to manage the appearance, behaviour and dynamics ofeach GUI; and a customer database to manage customer specific datareference by the vault management software.

The GUIs used by the present invention may be pre-designed or may begenerated at run-time (i.e. when the vault management system isimplemented) from standard controls and components. During development,maintenance or enhancement of the system, one or more user interface“wizards” or guided processes may be provided. These enablenon-technical personnel to design interfaces and reduce production timesfor qualified developers. Each GUI may be further configurable duringimplementation by selecting controls and components from menus andlists. Certain configuration options may be disabled for certain users.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, the vault managementserver 210 may be a virtual server, i.e. may be implemented above anunderlying host system. This enables the processes of the vaultmanagement server 210 to be distributed over one or more physicalcomputers and the processes of the server to be accessed from one ormore remote terminals. The physical computers implementing the virtualserver may also host one or more additional systems, for example CCTVserver 810 as described with reference to FIG. 8. Such a systemfacilitates access from portable devices and remote thin clients andenables the vault management server 210 to be implemented in an enclosedenvironment that can be easily shut down and modified without affectingunderlying systems. Such virtual platforms may be provided by CitrixSystems Incorporated of Florida, USA or Microsoft Corporation ofWashington, USA.

The operations performed in the deposit processing 110 will now bedescribed in relation to FIGS. 5A and 5B. The deposit processing 110 isperformed on one or more quantities of cash that have been received fromoutside of the cash processing centre. The cash is received in one ormore containers that can vary in size and form. These containers may beorganised in a nested hierarchy. For example, the cash processing centremay use cages, bulk bags and satchels, wherein a cage may hold one ormore bulk bags and a bulk bag may contain one or more satchels.Alternatively, the cash processing centre may use containers, bags andenvelopes or a combination of all six container types. Each of thecontainers may have its own individual identifier, for example in theform of a serial number encoded within a barcode present on the outsideof the container.

Each received quantity of cash has an associated deposit slip. Thisdeposit slip lists one or more properties related to the received cash,for example, the originating customer or depositor, the declared depositamount and the date of deposit. Each container containing a quantity ofcash also contains a deposit slip. Containers containing othercontainers may also contain deposit slips relating to the cumulativedeposit amount of all contained containers. The deposit slip may alsofurther comprise a one or two dimensional barcode. This barcode mayencode a serial number or actual deposit information. At the depositstage the quantity of cash within each container is linked to thedepositor and verified against the deposit amount declared on thedeposit slip.

FIG. 5A shows a method for obtaining the deposit data associated with adeposit. At step 505 an operator logs into the deposit module using aclient workstation, such as workstation 220A. The login procedure mayinvolve entering a user name and password. In some embodiments theworkstation 220A may be connected to a biometric device adapted to reada biometric identifier associated with the operator. This identifier maybe a finger print, a finger or palm vein structure, an iris scan or avoice print (amongst others). Hitachi Ltd provides a number of readingdevices which may be used to read the biometric identifier. Thebiometric identifier is then used instead of a username and/or passwordto log in to the relevant software module.

The operator then selects a deposit container for deposit processing510, opens the container and retrieves the deposit slip. A new depositrecord is then created if no pre-existing record exists. The informationpresent on the deposit slip is then obtained 515 using one or more ofautomatic means, for example scanning a barcode 515A present on adeposit slip or applying optical character recognition (OCR) to acaptured image of the deposit software, or using manual means, forexample entering the information 515B, 515C into the deposit module GUI.As a deposit operator will regularly spend a large proportion of theirtime entering deposit information all functions within the depositmodule are accessible with keystrokes or by assigning hot keys. If abarcode is present then the operator can use a barcode scanner 225 toeither retrieve a serial number or the deposit data itself. A serialnumber may be linked to a deposit record generated by the depositingcustomer or may identify the depositor. Other data that maybe recordedinclude a till, cashier, store or branch identifier. Once the depositorinformation has been entered then the deposit record is updated 520. Ifit is not assigned already the cash deposit is assigned to the currentoperator by associating an operator identifier, such as a user name,with the deposit record. This may be achieved by associating the username of the current active operator with the deposit record. A cashdeposit may also be assigned to an area, for example deposit area 111,as well as, or instead of an operator. This makes the current operatorand/or area responsible for the cash deposit until a transfer isperformed.

The data present on the deposit slip may also be obtained usingpre-advisement. Pre-advisement involves the customer pre-advising thecash processing centre on the nature of a deposit. Typically, this maybe performed using a web interface wherein the customer enters thedeposit amount and container identifiers while preparing the deposit. Inother embodiments, this may be performed using Interactive VoiceResponse (IVR) technology. This deposit data is then linked to the cashprocessing centre receiving the deposit. When a container is subsequentsent and received by the cash processing centre the pre-entered depositinformation can be retrieved upon container identification, e.g. whenthe containers making up the deposit are scanned by an operator.

After initial deposit processing a count and verification processbegins. The count and verification process is illustrated in FIG. 5B andis performed by an operator interacting with an adapted GUI of thedeposit module. The method 501 begins at step 520 with the retrieval ofcash, typically in the form of banknotes, from the selected depositcontainer. The cash is then counted at stage 535. Counting may beperformed manually or, as is typically the case, may be performed by anon-line or off-line banknote counter 230. If the cash processing centreis configured to receive and process cheques then cheque imaging systemsand software may also be integrated into the vault management system toprovide count information for cheque deposits.

In a manual count the operator counts and inspects the cash from thecontainer and enters the results of the count into the deposit moduleGUI. Typically, the cash is sorted into a number of denominations andthe total number of notes and cash value of each denomination isrecorded. The fitness of each note can also be inspected and the serialnumbers recorded. If a banknote counter 230A is currently connected tothe client workstation 220 at which the current operator is operating,i.e. is on-line, this will be shown within the deposit module GUI andthe banknote counter can be used to generate data documentingcharacteristics of counted notes. These can be, amongst others,denomination, fitness, and authentication characteristics. To use anon-line banknote counter the operator places the retrieved banknotes onbanknote counter 230A. The banknote counter 230A is then able to countand/or verify the banknotes and the data generated by the banknotecounter 230A is sent back to the client workstation 220A to populate thecount data at stage 540. Alternatively banknote counter 230A can bedisconnected from the client workstation 220A, i.e. used off-line. Inthis case the banknotes will still be counted by the banknote counterbut the operator will manually enter the data on the banknote counterdisplay. If the banknote counter 230A is adapted to authenticate thebanknotes and identify counterfeit notes then data related tocounterfeit notes may either be passed automatically to the depositmodule from the banknote counter if the counter is on-line or mayotherwise be manually entered into the adapted deposit GUI based on datapresented to the user on the banknote counter display. Data oncounterfeit notes can then be printed by a user or supervisor to complywith legal reporting requirements. If an error occurs when using abanknote counter an operator is also able to edit any captured datamanually by interfacing with the deposit module GUI.

Certain customers of the cash processing centre require that depositsare of a certain form. For example, store Y or bank X may stipulate thatdeposits of 1000 banknotes should comprise a set proportion of differentdenominations. At steps 535 and 540, further properties of the banknotesmaking up the deposit can be captured, possibly using a banknotecounter, and compared with the requirements set by the customer. Suchrequirements may be predetermined or may be stored in data that isaccompanies the deposit. If the requirements are not met this can thenbe logged and flagged to an operator and/or manager. For example, if thedenominations of the banknotes of the deposit do not meet thepredetermined proportions set by a customer, this may signify that thedeposit has been tampered with or is incorrect.

After the banknotes have been processed at step 535 and the count datahas been populated at step 540 the populated count data is compared withthe deposit amount entered into the deposit module from the depositslip. This is performed at step 545. At this stage, to provide extrasecurity, the result of the comparison may be reviewed by a supervisorat step 550. If this is the case a supervisor is summoned and logs intothe vault management system. Once the supervisor is logged in they arepresented with a screen summarising all information relevant to thecurrent deposit. They are then able to review any difference foundbetween the counted amount and the amount on the deposit slip.

If a difference is found at step 555 then this is displayed to thesupervisor and the supervisor is asked to enter a reason for thedifference at step 560. If no difference is found then the supervisormay be asked simply to confirm the count data. Whatever the result, thesupervisor then captures an image of the deposit slip at step 565. Thismay also be performed by the operator. This typically involves placingthe deposit slip underneath a digital camera connected to clientworkstation 220A. The digital camera is adapted to take a picture of thedeposit slip and store it with the deposit record in deposit database215. After the count has been performed the operator in the depositprocessing area 111 the cash is transferred to the vault area 121.Typically, after processing, the cash is retained in a secure containerwhose ownership is attributed to the operator, machine or arearesponsible for deposit processing.

In certain embodiments, a selective dual control system may be used toimplement step 550. Such a system may also be used at other pointswithin the cash processing cycle where dual control is required, forexample, when performing count or reclassification during vaultprocessing 120 or when activating and/or allocating an order to anoperator during order processing 130. The system typically comprises twoparallel modules or GUIs that are presented to two different users,wherein processing performed by a first user using a first module or GUImay be approved and/or authorised by a second user using a second moduleor GUI. If two GUIs are provided these may either be displayed on thesame display or on two different displays, wherein the two displays maybe provided in the same area or in two different locations.

In an example wherein a supervisor and an operator use a dual controlsystem implemented using a single display, the dual control system maybe initiated by a log-in procedure performed by a supervisor on a clientworkstation that is presently displaying a first GUI to the operator.Once the supervisor has been successfully authenticated, a second GUImay be displayed together with the first GUI; for example a vertical orhorizontal split-screen arrangement could be used. The supervisor maythen be presented with data and/or control components unique to his orher level of superiority, e.g. “accept” or “decline” click buttons toauthorise count differences as described above. Using a dual screenconfiguration, the supervisor is able to simultaneously view such dataand/or control components together with the options and data of theoperator. After completing authorisation a supervisor may log-out of thesecond GUI, which may act to lock or close the interface.

The dual control system above may be seen as “selective” as such asystem is only implemented when a supervisor logs-in to an appropriatemodule. Each user within the cash processing system may have associateddata that is stored by vault management server 210. This data maycomprise configuration information detailing which executable componentsor GUIs are available to a user. Thus when a supervisor logs-in, data isexchanged with the vault management server 210 and, depending on theconfiguration information of the supervisor, the present workstation maybe instructed to display the appropriate dual control GUIs. Theconfiguration information may also be used to restrict access toparticular modules; for example, an operator assigned to depositprocessing 110 may only be able to load modules related to that area ofprocessing and may only be able to see GUIs related to depositprocessing operations. The configuration information may be configuredby appropriate management personnel.

The transfer of cash from the deposit area 111 to the vault area 121involves a transfer process as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Thetransfer process is used to transfer responsibility for the cashdeposits from deposit processing 110 to vault processing 120. Thetransfer process performed by the party wishing to transfer a cashdeposit, in this case an operator DP within deposit area 111, is shownin FIG. 3A. The operator begins by initiating a transfer module uponclient workstation 220A as shown in step 305. The operator then selectsthe source of the transfer in step 310. The source may be an individual,an area or a safe, a safe being a subdivision of the vault. Theselection may be achieved by either selecting the relevant user name orarea from a dropdown list, retrieving the current logged in user name orarea from the client workstation operating parameters. Once the sourceof the transfer has been selected the containers and/or cash depositscurrently assigned to the source may be displayed to the user via in aninformation panel within the GUI.

At step 315 the operator selects a destination, which may also be anindividual, an area or a safe, a safe being a subdivision of the vault.For example, the destination may be a user V in the vault area 121. Thisselection may again be made through the use of a dropdown menu. Once auser and/or area have been selected as a suitable destination thecontainers and/or cash deposits belonging to the selected destinationmay be displayed in an information panel.

Once the source of the transfer and the destination of the transfer havebeen selected in steps 310 and 315, the number of items to transfer isthen entered in to the transfer module GUI at step 320. These items canbe containers or discrete bundled quantities of banknotes representing acash deposit. As discussed previously each container has an identifierand this identifier can be in the form of a barcode. Each bundledquantity of cash may also have an identifier in the form of a barcode.Once the number of items to transfer has been entered at step 320, theidentifiers corresponding to the items that are to be transferred areentered into the transfer module GUI. For example, if barcodes are usedthese can be scanned at step 325 to obtain serial numbers identifyingeach item. As each item is identified it may be passed across thephysical boundary 141 separating the deposit area 111 from the vaultarea 121. Each identified item is counted and the total number ofidentified items is compared with the quantity entered in step 320. Onceall the items for transfer have been identified then the transfer isconfirmed at step 330.

In order to complete the transfer process a transfer must beacknowledged by or at the destination. In the present example, thiscould be operator V in the vault area 121. An acknowledgement can beperformed in one of three ways:

-   -   The system can be set up to automatically acknowledge any        transfers as soon as they have been confirmed by the operator at        step 330.    -   The receiving party can follow the steps shown in FIG. 3B. At        step 350 the destination operator logs into the vault management        system via a client workstation 220 and initiates an        acknowledgement module 350. In certain configurations the        acknowledgement module automatically identifies the current user        and/or destination area based on the operating parameters of the        current client workstation and in other configurations the        acknowledgement displays a series of users, areas or safes for        the operator to select. Once one of a user, area or safe has        been selected the current number of transfers awaiting        acknowledgement are displayed. The operator then selects one of        these transfers at step 355 and interacts with the GUI of the        acknowledgement module to acknowledge the transfer.    -   In addition to the steps of FIG. 3B described above the        receiving party may also re-identify the items at step 365 in        order to acknowledge the receipt. For example, the barcodes of        two bulk bags received from the deposit area 111 may only be        acknowledged when their barcodes are scanned using a barcode        scanner 225 connected to a client operating system 220 present        in vault area 121. This option is the most secure and means that        items can only be acknowledged once they are physically        received.

This transfer process described above manages the physicalresponsibility or “ownership” of containers and/or cash deposits. Thisallows, all physical movements of containers and/or cash depositsbetween operators and/or areas of the cash processing centre to berecorded by the vault management system as database records. The vaultmanagement system running on vault management server 210 stores recordsof each transfer and each acknowledgement in database 215. Thus theserecords can be queried at any time in order to investigate a transferprocess. For example, if a transfer has been initiated by one party butthe transfer has not been received by a second party then the transferrecords for the initiated transfer can be examined and details such asthe container identifiers, cash amount, date, time, user and/or area canbe retrieved to aid investigation.

Once the cash is in the vault area 121 it will often be processed andstored. This may involve removing the cash and re-bundling sets ofbanknotes in set bundles of a particular denomination and a particularfitness. For example, banknotes may be sorted into those that are fitfor automatic teller machines (ATMs) or those that comply with theBanknote Recycling Framework (BRF).

The vault management system further comprises a vault module that allowsthe physical inventory of the vault or secure area of the cashprocessing centre to be accurately represented in real time. As all cashdeposits are transferred to the vault the vault module is able tocalculate the exact quantity of cash within the vault by using the countand denomination records, linked to the transferred item, that weregenerated during deposit processing 110. To facilitate management of thevault inventory the vault module further has the ability to generatevirtual areas or safes within the vault area 121. Items such ascontainers or bundled quantities of cash can then be assigned tospecific virtual areas through the transfer process of FIGS. 3A and 3B.For example, virtual areas could be generated to hold reserve notes, newnotes, coins, ATM fit notes, notes for a particular customer, notes fordestruction, old issues of notes, containers, bags, cages, or torepresent designated areas such as processing areas or order preparationareas. This can enable management to view all available cash of a giventype at a given time, for example all ATM fit cash and then manage thecash flow process accordingly. These virtual areas may have a physicalcounterpart but this need not be the case, so quantities of cash presentin a set physical area of the vault may belong to different virtualareas or safes.

Vault processing 120 may also involve reclassification of cash media.For example, 100×$1 coins may be reclassified as a 1×$100 rolled coinpackage. This can help to simplify and refine later order processing.Alternatively, if fitness and authentication sorts are not performed aspart of the deposit processing 110 then the resultant quantities of cashwill be set as “unclassified”. Within vault processing 120 thesequantities of cash can be further sorted for fitness and authenticationand the results of the sort process can be used to perform the mediareclassification. This can enable the true state of the cash or mediawithin the vault to be ascertained. Additionally, by altering the stageat which media classification is performed the processing workload canbe actively split between deposit and vault processing.

Cash remains in the vault area 121 until it is required to fulfil a cashorder. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in order processing 130. Acash order comprises a request for a set quantity of cash from acustomer. This request may be for a variety of articles of value, suchas coins, notes or bonds and may also include an order for associatedservicing, such as ATM servicing. At step 605 the details of the cashorder are received or generated. Cash orders may be one off orders ormay be part of a regular standing order. Cash orders are stored asrecords in an order database which may be implemented as part of vaultmanagement database 215. Orders may be received via a variety ofcommunication means, for example facsimile, telephone, email etc, andmay be manually or automatically entered into the order database. Ordersmay also be automatically generated based on forecasting systems thatinterface with the cash management system.

Once a cash order is received, an order processing module verifies thecustomer making the request and checks that the customer is on, or canbe assigned to, a valid delivery route. The delivery date of the orderis also checked to confirm that it is possible make the delivery and, ifthe delivery date is not possible, an error is returned. The orderamount is checked against the inventory of the vault 121 to confirm thatthere is enough stock to complete the order. Orders are then queued andgrouped by delivery date.

Before an order can be prepared it needs to be activated and allocatedto an operator within the cash processing centre. This is typicallyperformed by a supervisor using a client workstation such as clientworkstation 220B within the order processing area 131. The supervisorlogs into an order preparation module, which forms part of the orderprocessing module, and is presented with a list of orders available forpreparation. At this stage the supervisor may also make use of anyselective dual control system that has been implemented. Commonly, thelist is filtered to show a subset of orders, for example those needingto be prepared for the current day, and the supervisor can view thedetails of each order by selecting one of the list. To activate an orderat step 610 the supervisor selects the order from the list and confirmsthat it is to be activated. At this stage orders can be assigned one ofa plurality of types which will dictate any special preparationrequirements. Once an order is activated its status is changed toawaiting preparation. This status change is a one way process andactivated orders cannot be modified or deleted.

Once an order has been activated operators within the vault area 121prepare the cash required to make up the order. At this stage the systemmay also perform an inventory check. This may involve counting out theamount of cash stipulated in the order. After the cash has been preparedit awaits collection by an operator from the order processing area 131.

Meanwhile, after activation of the order, the supervisor proceeds toallocate the cash order to a user and/or an area. Typically, this is anoperator within order processing area 131. To allocate an order at step620 the supervisor selects an activated order and then selects therequired user and/or area in a similar manner to the selection of adestination in the transfer process. It is also possible to allocatemore than one cash order. Once an order has been allocated then a picklist or manifest can be printed at step 625. The pick list containsdetails of the cash order and may have a barcode encoding a uniqueserial number associated with the order. Typically, the pick list isprinted by the printing device 240 connected to the client workstation220B within the order processing area 131. The pick list may comprise anumber of individual manifests corresponding to each required container.

Once the responsible operator receives the pick list they are able toretrieve the cash required to make up the order from the vault. Thisrequires a transfer process 630 as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Theprinting of a print list at stage 625 may automatically generate atransfer process to transfer banknotes from the vault area 121 to theorder processing area 131. Alternatively the transfer process can beperformed by an operator in the vault area 121 at the request of theorder processing operator. In any case, the stages in FIG. 3A areperformed with regard to a number of prepared bundles of banknotes. Theoperator within the order processing area 131 then receives thebanknotes and the transfer process can be acknowledged by the orderprocessing operator as shown in FIG. 3B.

At step 635 a number of containers required to hold the cash order areprepared. The number and type of containers required may be calculatedautomatically when the order is activated and may be present on the picklist. For example, orders can be supplied in cassettes, bulk bags orsatchels. The containers are retrieved from a stock of fresh or un-usedcontainers and these may be present in the order processing area 131 ormaybe retrieved from the vault area 121. As with received deposits, eachcontainer is typically assigned a unique identifier. This may be encodedas a barcode. The barcode may already be present on the container or theclient workstation 220B within the order processing area 131 maygenerate and print new barcodes using a connected label printer. Hence,before picking an order the allocated operator is provided with a picklist, a number of identified containers and a quantity of cash from thevault.

An activated order can only be prepared by an allocated operator. Hencethe picking process begins when the allocated operator logs into aclient workstation, such as workstation 220B, in order processing area131. The allocated operator is then presented with an order preparationscreen. This displays all pending orders that have been allocated to thecurrent operator in an information panel. To perform the picking processat step 640 the allocated operator first selects a pick list and entersthe pick list identifier. This may involve scanning the barcode presenton the pick list. The entering of the identifier brings up the detailsof the order on the operator's screen. These details include the numberof containers required and the amount of cash or number of banknotes tobe placed in each container. The operator begins with a first ordercontainer and enters the container identifier associated with the firstorder container. This may involve scanning a barcode related to thatcontainer. The operator is then informed of the quantity of cash to beplaced within the container. If the cash is in the form of bundledbanknotes a number of bundles can be taken and placed into the containerto pick the order. If the cash is provided in the form of aheterogeneous group of banknotes or other documents then the cash may becounted by an attached banknote counter, such as counter 230C. If saidcounter is connected to the client workstation then the order processingmodule may automatically pass the required count amount to the counter.The operator then need only place a quantity of banknotes upon thecounter and the required amount will be counted into an appropriateoutput hopper. The operator can then simply remove the banknotes fromthe output hopper and place them in the associated container. If eachcontainer has its own manifest or the order is complete, the appropriatepick list is placed within the container and the container is thensealed. The pick process is then repeated for any additional containersthat make up the order.

After the picking process a balance is calculated for the user based ona comparison of the quantity of cash received from the vault with thequantity of cash placed within the one or more containers. Thesequantities should be equal and if they are not then a supervisor can becalled over to log in and confirm the reason for this difference. If anerror occurs during the picking process then picked quantities of cashcan be retrieved from assigned containers but the associated containeridentity is destroyed and a new container identity is generated. The endresult of the order processing process 130 is one or more containersfilled with a quantity of cash that fulfils a given customer order.

FIG. 1B illustrates an extended cash management process 101 according toa second embodiment of the present invention. This process 101 providesan extension to the cash management process 100 shown in FIG. 1A. Theextended cash management process 101 further comprises the processes ofcash reception 150 and cash despatch 160. The incoming delivery of cashdeposits and the outgoing despatch of cash orders may be performed bythe same organisation that runs the cash processing centre or may beperformed by a third party. Although the present example is describedwith the inclusion of the reception 150 and despatch 160 stages itshould be noted that these stages are optional and the present inventioncan be implemented using any of the stages shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D illustrates an example schematic of an extended cash processingcentre 106 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.Extended cash processing centre 106 comprises deposit processing area111, vault area 121, and order processing area 131, as present in thestandard cash processing centre 105 of FIG. 1C, but also furthercomprises reception area 151 and despatch area 161. Reception area 151may be separated from the deposit area 111 by physical boundary 171 asshown in FIG. 1D. If so, access to the deposit area 111 from thereception area 151 is provided by entry point 156, through which cashcan be transferred as shown by arrow 157. Alternatively, the receptionand deposit areas may be provided by a single area. Despatch area 161may also be separated from order processing area 131 by physicalboundary 171. If so, access to the despatch area 161 from the orderprocessing area 131 is provided by exit point 136, through which cashcan be transferred as shown by arrow 137.

FIG. 1E shows an alternate layout for a cash processing centre, whereinfeatures equivalent to those shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D are givenidentical reference numerals. Delivery bays 151 and 161 are used asreception and despatch areas, wherein delivery vehicles may reverse intosaid bays to load and unload cash deliveries. Deposit area 111 comprisestwo areas: area 111A comprising desk-top machines similar to workstation220A and area 111B comprising large banknote sorters and a reject entrystation. Selected deposits and rejected notes will pass from area 111Ato area 111B through entry way 181. Vault 121 is located in the centreof the cash processing facility and receives cash from area 111A viaroute 117 and area 111B via route 182. Order processing area 131receives cash from the vault 121 and picks orders to supply to thedespatch area 161.

Cash reception 150 involves the receipt of containers that contain cashfor deposit. Commonly, these containers are received from CIT operatorswhich transport cash deposits from parties who are located at a distancefrom the cash processing centre. For example, at the end of a tradingperiod, a bank may commission a CIT operator to pick-up cash from thebank's branch and transport it to the cash processing centre. Duringcash reception 150 the cash processing centre is responsible forunloading containers containing cash deposits from a CIT vehicle anddocumenting the newly acquired ownership of these containers.

Responsibility for these containers can then be transferred to depositprocessing 110. In a similar manner to the boundary line 140 in FIG. 1A,the extended cash management process 101 of FIG. 1B contains figurativeboundary line 170. This separates the process of cash reception 150 fromthe process of deposit processing 110 and reflects the organisation ofthe discrete components of the vault management system.

An example of the cash reception process 150 is shown in FIG. 4. Themethod 400 shown in FIG. 4 is implemented when a cash deposit isreceived at the reception area 151. For example, the method may beinitiated when a CIT vehicle arrives. As with deposit and orderprocessing, the cash reception process is performed by an operatorresident in reception area 151. The operator has access to an additionalclient workstation within the reception area 151. On arrival of a cashdeposit, if an operator is not already logged in, the operator loads acash reception module and logs into the system using their user name andpassword.

The operator then proceeds to capture data associated with the cashdeposit. This begins with the step of entering the carrier or the routedetails 405 into the vault management system. Typically, this involvesentering a carrier or route identifier from CIT or depositdocumentation. This identifier can either be entered manually by theoperator or automatically by scanning a barcode encoding the identifier.

At the next stage 410 deposit information related to the received cashis entered into the vault management system. This may comprise thenumber of containers being deposited or may comprise additional detailssuch as the name of the depositing customer and/or the deposit amount.In a similar manner to the entry of the carrier or route details 405 thedeposit information may be entered manually by the operator or may beretrieved from data encoded into the CIT or deposit documentation. Atthe next stage of the method the identifiers of the received containerscontaining the cash deposit are entered into the system. Typically, eachcontainer has an external barcode encoding the container identifier andthis is scanned using a handheld barcode scanner in step 415. The cashreception module then stores the identifiers of each container andverifies that the number of containers present in the CIT or depositdocumentation matches the number of identified containers.

Once all the received containers have been identified to the system thenreception of the deposit is confirmed at step 420. This can be achievedby pressing an icon within a GUI used to implement the cash receptionmodule. On receipt of a new cash deposit a number of new deposit recordsare created in the vault management database 215. Each container willhave its own associated record which will contain information about itssource, its contents and other processing information. When thereception of the cash deposit is confirmed at the confirmation stage 420these records are permanently stored in the vault management softwaredatabase 215 and the containers are assigned or allocated to the currentoperator and/or area. At this stage, “parent” containers containing oneor more other containers may be unloaded or loaded to facilitate depositprocessing. The opening and loading of a container in this or in relatedoperations may be provided as a single option within the module. Beforetransfer to the deposit processing area 111 a reception operator is alsoable to re-load the reception module and edit any incorrect data.

Once a number of containers containing cash deposits have been receivedand documented in reception area 151 the containers are transferred todeposit processing area 111. Physically this is normally achieved usingentry point 156. As well as physically transferring containers of cashbetween area 151 and 111 the reception operator must also complete atransfer process. As before, this transfer process is required to recordthe movement of the cash deposit containers. Hence the receptionoperator performs the steps of FIG. 3A whilst an operator in the depositprocessing area 111 acknowledges the transfer, for example using thesteps of FIG. 3B. Deposit processing can then begin as described withrelation to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

The deposit information captured at step 410 may be stored as initialdata in the appropriate deposit record in vault management database 215.This data may then be used again in a later stage of processing to savetime. For example, the deposit information may comprise a customer nameor identifier and a deposit amount. During deposit processing 110 thisinitial data may be retrieved and used to initially populate fieldswithin the deposit processing module. The operator performing thedeposit processing 110 may then have the opportunity to confirm thisinitial data, for example verify the customer identifier and details andthe cash amount on the deposit slip. If there is a high level of trustwithin the system the initial data may be confirmed automatically.

The extended cash management process 101 of FIG. 1B also includes adespatch stage 160. After an order of cash has been processed by theorder processing stage 130 it is typically sent to the despatch stage160 to be despatched to the customer requiring the cash. The delivery isnormally performed by a CIT operator. The despatch stage also recordsthe transfer of responsibility from the cash processing centre to theparty responsible for the delivery. The steps performed during cashdespatch are shown in FIG. 7.

The result of the order processing stage 130 is a number of containerscontaining a quantity of cash to fulfil a cash order. Once an order hasbeen prepared and processed it is transferred to the despatch area 161to await despatch. Physically, this is often performed using a secureexit point 136. As part of the management process the one or morecontainers that contain the cash required for the cash order are alsotransferred to the despatch area 161 using a transfer process 135 asdescribed previously with relation to FIGS. 3A and 3B. The transferprocess is initiated by an operator within the order processing area 131and a second operator logged into a client workstation within despatcharea 161 acknowledges the transfer as well as physically receiving thecontainers.

Once in the despatch area 161 the operator may combine a number of cashorders into a shipment, as is shown in step 705 of FIG. 7. A shipmentcorresponds to a plurality of customer orders that will use a commondespatch route or CIT operator. Alternatively, orders may be groupedinto a shipment by management personnel or automatically based onscheduling considerations. In any case, when the despatch operator logsinto the vault management system and loads a shipment module they arepresented with a screen displaying all shipments scheduled for thepresent day. The shipment module may also display whether all containersfor a given shipment are available for despatch or whether a shipment isincomplete or over-subscribed. Containers for a given shipment may beprepared in step 710 by physically grouping the shipment containers in areserved section of the despatch area 161. Each shipment may have anassociated printed manifest documenting the details of the shipment.

When the appropriate transport vehicle arrives at the cash processingcentre the despatch operator begins the despatch process. The operatorbegins by loading the despatch module on a client workstation andselecting the route used by the waiting transport vehicle. The despatchoperator then enters or selects the relevant shipments for that routeand enters the number of containers to load onto the vehicle for eachshipment at step 720. This may be achieved by scanning the barcode of ashipment manifest to retrieve a shipment identifier. The identifiers ofall the containers to be despatched are entered into the despatch modulewhich assigns these containers to the operator of the transport vehicle.This may be achieved by scanning container barcodes that encode a uniquecontainer serial number, as is set out in step 725. The identificationof the containers making up the shipment transfers ownership of thecontainers from the despatch area 161 to transport vehicle operator. Theorder containers are then physically loaded onto the transport vehiclein step 730. A manifest related to the shipment and documenting thetransferred containers may be generated in step 735. This manifest maybe printed onto paper or may be stored electronically. The transportvehicle is then ready to depart the cash processing centre with theloaded containers.

As the steps in reception and despatch processing typically involveworking with CIT or other delivery or despatch vehicles it isadvantageous if operators within these areas are provided with portableelectronic devices to perform the steps of FIGS. 4 and 7. For example,an Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) or PDA, together with anoptional touch-screen input, may display the required forms to anoperator located within areas 151 and 161 as shown in FIG. 1D. Selectionand manipulation of user interface controls by the operator may thenprovide the data input and/or confirmation required in the steps ofFIGS. 4 and 7. The UMPC or PDA may optionally be equipped with a barcodeor RFID reader to automatically obtain data from deposit or despatchcontainers (see the description below for further details of RFIDintegration). The UMPC or PDA may also be adapted to receive signaturesfrom CIT or other delivery personnel, for example using a stylus and atouch screen interface. Hence, deposits and cash orders may be digitally“signed for” to confirm the transfer of cash to and/or from saidpersonnel.

A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8. Thisembodiment combines the vault management system of the first or secondembodiment with a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system; theembodiment comprises the hardware components of FIG. 2A but then furthercomprises CCTV cameras 820 and a CCTV multiplexer and recorder 810.Typically cameras 820 are digital CCTV cameras and CCTV multiplexer andrecorder 810 is adapted to store digitally recorded CCTV footage indatabase 815. Digital CCTV systems capture a video using high-capacity,high-speed multi-channel digital recorders. Such systems typically holda vast amount of video footage and allow quick access to video filesstored in database 815.

Using the assignment of containers and assets, together with thetransfer process, the vault management system of the first and secondembodiments is able to capture data related to all cash processingactions in its database. Each recorded action, for example a transfer,count or reception operation, will have an associated date, time andlocation. In a similar manner the CCTV system will monitor set locationsand will index each video recording using a date and a time. Hence, asboth the vault management system and the CCTV system are commonly linkedby location, date and time parameters it is possible to retrieve videofootage from database 815 based on a location, date and time specifiedby the vault management server 210.

For example, a supervisor may wish to view the transfer of a set ofcontainers between the order processing area 131 and the despatch area161. Such a transfer will have an associated transfer record in thevault management database 215. This transfer record will then comprisedata specifying an associated set of locations (areas 131, 136 and 161)and an associated date and time. The vault management server 210 is thenadapted to supply these parameters to the CCTV multiplex and recorder810 which is able to retrieve the appropriate video from video database815. The supervisor is then able to view the video footage for thatlocation, date and time. If the CCTV camera is positioned to monitor thedisplay of a particular client workstation, that workstation may beconfigured to use large fonts that can be accurately read in CCTVfootage.

In certain embodiments, data pertaining to transfer or transactionrecords generated by the vault management server 210 may be transmittedin real-time or at predetermined intervals to the CCTV system (i.e.devices 810 and 815). The CCTV system may then use such data to annotatevideo records stored in video database 815. For example, data such asthe data or time of a transfer, count or other processing operationbeing performed in a particular area of the cash processing centre maybe stored with the video records of said area. In certain embodimentsthis data may be in the form of text that is added in real-time as anoverlay to video footage, for example as a “ticker-tape” that repeats ina rectilinear section at the bottom of each frame of the video footage.In these embodiments the video footage, together with added visualinformation relating to the vault management records, is stored in achosen format, such as one of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)formats, in database 815. The video footage can then be retrieved at alater date for viewing together with the added visual information. Inother embodiments, data relating to the vault management system may beembedded into the video footage without being visible in said footage.For example, data could be incorporated into header sections or unusedbits. An appropriate decoder is then able to extract and display thedata when the video footage is retrieved. An example of relevantinformation that is stored with video footage is a list of discrepanciesin cash processing operations in a particular area at a particular time.

As well as integrating the vault management data with a CCTV systemother supervisor functions may also be optionally integrated tofacilitate management of the cash processing centre. The supervisorfunctions described herein may be used with any embodiment of thepresent invention. The interfaces for these supervisor functions can beviewed using a remote client workstation such as workstation 220C. Thefirst of these modules is an investigation and research module. Thisprovides a front-end to the vault management database enabling thesupervisor to query and view all deposit transactions, all transferprocesses and all inventories across any networked cash processingcentres, including user and/or area inventories. Each query or inventorymay also be printed as an electronic or paper report. Reports include,amongst others, operator productivity, discrepancy pattern analysis,deposit quality per depositor, counterfeit frequency per depositor orATM fit note yield per depositor. These reports may be generatedautomatically when certain criteria are met, for example at a particulartime every day, week or month. Such scheduling may also be combined withtechnologies to automatically distribute or publish the reports; forexample, a scheduled report may be faxed or emailed to a particulargroup of users. Discrepancies reported by customers can be investigatedby recalling all data associated with the deposit and/or cash order inquestion, including the image of the deposit slip. Discrepancy reportscan then be generated and printed or sent electronically.

As a variation of the reporting described above, the vault managementserver 210 may be adapted to provide ad-hoc text output files. Thesefiles are configurable; operators and management may select which fieldsfrom vault management database 215 they wish to export into a text fileand these selections may be altered in real-time. For example, a managermay wish to regularly export performance metrics relating to the cashprocessing centre into an XML file for publication on an internal orexternal server. The vault management server 210 may also be adapted toprocess and import data, such as data relating to received orders.

The vault management server 210 may also be configured to manage alerts,alarms and notifications to employees and/or management personnel (oftenreferred to as “Nag-ware” in the art). For example, an operator mayrequire a supervisor to authorise a discrepancy or shortfall in arequired cash amount. In the past, the operator typically raised theirhand and waited to be noticed by a supervisor. This process wasinefficient and required a supervisor to monitor the whole of adepartment at any one time. The vault management system 200 of thepresent invention may be configured to automatically detect events thatrequire authorisation. Such events may be detected when an operatorreaches a certain point in a process or workflow or when a particularset of data exists. Once an event is detected it may initiate a routineto alert a supervisor. This alert may be provided by, amongst others,one or more of: short message service (SMS) alerts to a cellular mobilephone, paging alerts over amplitude or frequency modulation (AM or FM)frequencies to a pager, or “pop-up” windows that are activated upon asupervisor workstation, such as 220C. The alert may contain, amongstothers, one or more of: the operator needing assistance, their location,the time of the alert, its urgency, the level of management required,and the alert category. The system may also be provided with a time-outmechanism; if the required supervisor does not attend to the alertwithin a configurable period the alert may be logged or another memberof staff may be alerted, possibly in the next level of managementhierarchy. Such alerts may also be used for service management.

In some configurations it is also possible to provide keystroke and/ordevice logging that can provide an extra level of information for auditsor investigations. For example, all key-strokes and control selectionsperformed by a user during a transfer or transaction may be monitored.Hence, if an operator takes 100 euros from a cash deposit andsubsequently cancels an alert showing a 100 euro discrepancy, both thealert and the cancelling of the alert will have been recorded by thelogging system and may be used as evidence of theft. The logging mayfurther be synchronised with the CCTV system of FIG. 8. For example, thedate, time and location of each keystroke or operation may be stored ina database. If a supervisor is concerned about a particular sequence ofkeystrokes, the associated CCTV footage may be retrieved as describedabove.

A security console may also be provided to inform a manager orsupervisor of any potential security risk within the cash processingcentre. The security console may comprise one or more GUI indicators.These GUI indicators may be graphical and/or text-based. For example, inone particular embodiment each indicator may comprise a dial resemblingthose found within a motor-vehicle dashboard. Each dial may display thevalue of a key performance indicator (KPI) and different areas of thedial may be given different colours. For example, if the KPI ranges from0 to 10 and a sub-range of 7 to 10 represent a high security risk, acircular sector of the dial representing this sub-range may be red;likewise a circular sector of the dial representing the sub-range of 4to 6 may be amber. Each KPI may be calculated using a custom formula oralgorithm applied to the vault management data. For example, the KPIsmay comprise, amongst others, any one of: the number of counts for aparticular user performing cash processing operations in any one ofareas 110, 120, 130, 150 or 160 of for a particular delivery route inwhich the cash amount falls short of a previously recorded amount, thenumber of transaction adjustments, the number of counterfeit notesdetected per machine operator, etc. Security personnel monitoring thesecurity console can thus be provided with clear feedback of the presentsecurity situation. The security console may also be integrated with theCCTV system so video footage of events related to each KPI may beretrieved and viewed using the appropriate time-stamps of said events.

The security console methods described above may also be extended todisplay KPIs associated with the functionality of database 215 or of aparticular banknote counter or processing device. For example, databasehealth or performance metrics such as hit ratios and reads per timeperiod may be displayed using “dashboard” displays or machine processingmetrics may be displayed on screens in proximity to the banknote counteror processing device. Alternatively, one or more KPIs may be defined bycustomers or management of the cash processing centre. Typically, suchKPIs are implemented by performing a query on database 215, wherein theresults are updated in real-time. time. For example, bank X may requirethat all cash deposits are processed by 3 pm. Personnel within the cashcentre may then be shown an indicator illustrated how many cash depositsfor bank X have yet to be processed, together with the estimatedcompletion time based on the average processing time per deposit.Personnel of all levels are then aware of whether the target is going tobe met and can adjust their behaviour accordingly.

A supervisor may also be provided with a stock balancing function thatcan be used to balance stock at the end of a working day or shift. Theexact time or event that triggers a balance procedure is configurable.An operator first uses the system and logs into the balance module. Theythen select their name from a list onscreen and are presented with alist of the stock that is currently assigned to them. The operator thenperforms a count of the cash within their work area and enters the countresult into the module. This process may also be performed withoutdisplaying the expected stock to perform the balancing “blind”. If adifference is found between the expected and actual stock count themodule will prompt the operator to perform a recount. If after therecount an imbalance still remains a supervisor is summoned. Thesupervisor is then able to adjust the balance if need be or investigateany discrepancy.

The balancing procedure described above may be performed using atechnique referred to as High Speed Teller Balancing (HSTB). Thistechnique uses the methods described below with reference to FIGS. 9, 10and 11. The banknotes that have been processed by one or more operatorsmay be collated into a number of note bundles separated with headerand/or trailer cards. The note bundles are then processed by ahigh-speed, high-throughput banknote counter, such as that shown in FIG.10, and the data generated by such processing is reconciled with thedata produced by each operator using a smaller banknote counter orsorter. Any discrepancies may then be identified and investigated. Thisprocess can be performed based on count data, i.e. the number of notesin a particular bundle processed by the high-speed counter match thenumber of notes previously processed by a particular operator, togetherwith any number of optional variables such as denomination orauthenticity.

As well as the examples discussed above, any of the ownership, count,sort, inventory, reclassification and order processing data can be usedtogether with other relevant collected data to provide a real timesummary of key performance indicators (KPIs). These may be displayedvisually to a supervisor or an operator. Any known data processing usedin the art may be applied to the data to provide appropriate managementinformation to a wide variety of personnel, from senior management tolow-level operators.

The vault management server 210 may also be adapted to manage user oroperator accounts. Typically, each employee associated with the cashprocessing centre has a user account which they use to log-in to thevault management system 200. Log-in or authentication may be performedthrough modules of the vault management system 200 implemented by one ofthe client workstations 220 or directly with the vault management server210, for example through a web-based interface. Each log-in proceduremay involve exchanging data such as a user name and password with thevault management server 210. The vault management server 210 may thenauthenticate this data against data stored in the user account and, ifthe log-in request is approved, appropriately configure futureprocesses. The user data may be stored in a database operably connectedto the vault management server 210, which may be database 215.

The user account may store a variety of data. For example, the useraccount may store data indicate which commands, GUIs or processingmodules a user has access to. For example, a deposit processing operatormay be limited to accessing a deposit processing GUI or module and maynot have the option to load or access an order processing GUI or module.This data may be configurable. For example, management may wish toassign an operator from deposit processing 110 to order processing 130and thus may wish to appropriately change the access permissions of theoperator. Additionally, users who are higher in the management hierarchymay have access to a greater number of GUIs or modules.

The vault management system 200 may also be configured to automaticallylog-out a user or lock their system if their workstation or module isidle for a predetermined period of time. If this occurs the user mayhave to log-in to the system a second time to reactivate any idleprocesses. This may increase security and prevent unauthorised access.The period between the last action and the locking and/or the log-outprocedure may be configurable according to user or user group. Thesystem may also be configured to “roll-back” any pending transfer ortransaction that is interrupted by the locking or log-out procedure.More details of “roll-back” operations are given below. As a user mayhave a plurality of executable modules loaded upon a client workstationthe locking and/or log-out procedure may be applied to one or more of:the client workstation, one or more active modules, and all modulesloaded upon the workstation. For example, the system may log a user outof any background processes that have not been activated in the lastfive minutes.

In one embodiment of the present invention, user accounts for a selectedplurality of users may be assigned to a user group. For example,operators performing vault processing 120 may be assigned to a vaultprocessing group. Data that is common to all users within the usergroup, for example permission data, shortfall amounts that requireauthorisation or available GUIs, may be stored as metadata for the usergroup. The vault management server 210 may then be adapted to use thismetadata as user account data for all users within the group. Forexample, for the vault processing group, the metadata may comprise afield indicating that all shortfalls in count amount above 5 eurosrequire authorisation by a supervisor. In use of a vault processingmodule, said module may make use of this field to decide when to lockthe module and request supervisor authorisation. Due to inflation,management may wish to increase the 5-euro limit to 10 euros. Instead ofhaving to individually edit the user account data of each operatorperforming vault processing 120, management may simply edit the metadatafor the vault processing group, i.e. instead of having to edit theshortfall field for every operator, management only needs to edit asingle shortfall field in the metadata.

The vault management server 210 typically offers the option to add, editor delete a user account for a particular user or a user account groupfor a particular group of users. For example, a user may be allowed toedit their password and/or user name. Within the vault management system200 there is the constraint that, when an employee has left the cashprocessing centre, the associated user account must be maintained toview and manipulate historical data stored in database 215. For example,each deposit transaction, transfer process and inventory recorded by thevault management system 200 is commonly associated with a particularuser. Even if the user has now left the cash processing centre,management may wish to retrieve an audit trail of all transactionsassociated with the user, for example, as part of a criminalinvestigation. However, maintaining unused user accounts places a burdenon management staff, as they need to select and monitor currentemployees. The present invention offers a solution to this problem byadding a field to each user account or user account group to enable thelogical deletion of a user whilst maintaining the physical dataassociated with the user account or user account group. For example,each user account or user account group may have a binary flag thatindicates if the user is active. This flag may be set by selectivelyactivating a “Disabled” tick-box in a user-account configuration GUI.Once the tick-box is checked the vault management server 210 isconfigured to appropriately filter the user accounts to exclude unuseduser accounts from lists of current users.

The teachings above in relation to user accounts and user account groupsmay also be applied mutatis mutandis to customer accounts. Suchcustomers may be those who deposit cash or who receive outgoing cashorders.

The vault management system 200 and/or database 215 may be provided witha “roll back” function to enable changes to the system and/or databaseperformed within a particular time period to be removed. This has theeffect of returning the system and/or database to a previous state. Thismay be applied at the level of software updates or single transfers andtransactions using database methods known in the art.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2B,and 9 to 11. This embodiment provides an alternative method forperforming deposit processing 110 that is adapted to handle largequantities of cash.

FIG. 2B illustrates a suite of exemplary hardware components that may beused to implement the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Suchhardware as described below may also be used to implement any of theother embodiments of the present invention described herein. FIG. 2Bshows two networks 231A and 231B that communicate with each other and aremote client workstation 220C using WAN 245. Each network 231A and 231Bis connected to a respective router 235C and 235D which then providesthe gateway to the WAN. Remote client workstation 220C is connected to athird router 235E via firewall 250. Each network 231A and 231B maycorrespond to two different areas of a cash processing centre, forexample deposit area 111 and order processing area 131, or to twophysically separate cash processing centres belonging to a singleorganisation.

Top network 231A is connected to vault management server 210 and mirroror RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) server 211 which togetherrun the server operations of the vault management software and include avault management database (not shown). Lower network 231B interfaceswith vault management server 210 via the WAN 245. Both networks furthercomprise uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) 255A and 255B, reportsprinters 240, client workstations 220A and connected handheld barcodescanners 225 and currency sorting machines 260D and 260E. An exemplarycurrency sorting machine 260 is illustrated in FIG. 11. The machine 260comprises document feed area 1012 and document output hoppers 1014. Thedocument output hoppers further comprise reject hopper 1014R. While thefourth embodiment is described with regard to the hardware configurationof FIG. 2B it is not limited to such a configuration and can be usedwith any other suitable configuration including that of FIG. 2A. In thelatter case banknote counter 230A is replaced by currency sortingmachine 260.

Multiple cash processing centres may record data such as ownershiptransfers, count data and inventory information on a single centraldatabase server. This central database server may comprise a primary andback-up server and be accessible from each cash processing centre over aWAN. The database server may also be accessible from a centraladministrative head-quarters or office.

The database server may also provide some or all of the functionality ofvault management server 210 and may be connected to a network resemblingnetwork 231A but without the cash processing centre workstations 220 andbanknote counters 260. Standard firewall technology can be implementedso that networked machines within a cash processing centre can only seedata upon the database server that relates to the centre in question.However, administrative machines may be able to access, view andaggregate data from a plurality of cash processing sites.

The method of the fourth embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9 provides analternate method for performing deposit processing as illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B. In the first and second embodiments each deposit iscommenced, counted, validated and completed prior to moving onto thenext deposit. The cash pertaining to such a deposit typically remainswith a deposit operator at all times. In the fourth embodiment aplurality of deposits are batched together and processed in a continuouscycle away from the desk of an operator.

The method of deposit processing according to the fourth embodimentinvolves three main stages: preparation; note sorting and depositcounting; and reject entry. Reject entry comprises capturing datarelated to notes that were rejected within the sort process. Such notesmay be damaged or counterfeit.

The method 900 of FIG. 9 commences after an operator within the depositprocessing area 111 receives one or more containers containing a cashdeposit. The operator performs the steps of FIG. 5A as per the firstembodiment but at step 520, when the deposit record is updated, thedeposit is assigned a unique deposit identifier as shown in step 905.This deposit identifier allows the deposit to be tracked for theduration of the deposit processing. For large deposits the deposit maybe split into a plurality of smaller deposits which will each beassigned a unique deposit identifier. Once the deposit identifier hasbeen assigned a set of two separator documents are generated at step910. The deposit is then arranged in a deposit batch in step 915.

A series of three deposits and their associated separator documents 1112that make up an exemplary deposit batch are shown in FIG. 11. Theseparator documents are designed to be placed around a bundle ofbanknotes 1116, 1120, 1124 making up the deposit and comprise a “first”or downstream document, 1119, 1121 and 1123, and a “second” or upstreamdocument, 1118, 1122 and 1126, wherein the banknotes are configured tobe fed in the direction of arrow 1127. The first separator documents1119, 1121 and 1123 act as a trailer and the second separator documents1118, 1122 and 1126, act as a header. Each header document comprises oneor more magnetic strips on the rear (downstream) side of the documentand a barcode on the front (upstream) side of the document. The uniquedeposit identifier is typically encoded in both the barcode and themagnetic strip.

Alternatively, the separator documents may be taken from a stock ofpre-existing separator documents. In this case, each the barcode andmagnetic strip(s) encode an arbitrary serial number. This serial numberis then assigned to a deposit at step 905 by scanning the barcode oneach header document whilst putting together the deposit batches.

Each deposit batch is commonly arranged on a deposit tray that isadapted to feed a currency sorting machine 260. A deposit batch maycontain a plurality of deposits from difference customers. Once adeposit tray is full, or a deposit batch reaches a predefined size, itis taken by an operator to the currency sorting machine 260 forprocessing and counting at step 920. The deposit batches, complete withseparator documents, are placed onto a feed mechanism of the currencysorting machine 260 at feed area 1012 and the machine continuously feedsthe note into a note processing area. The processing performed by thecurrency sorting machine 260 incorporates one or more of counting,authentication, fitness and denominational sorting in a single processrun and typically provides all four forms of processing. During the sortprocess detectors within the machine inspect both the banknotes andseparator documents. When the machine encounters a header document itreads the unique identifier on the document encoded in either themagnetic strips or the barcode. This identifier is then associated withthe sort or process records of the subsequent banknotes. When thetrailer separation document is then subsequently detected the machinethen disassociates the unique identifier from the sort or processrecords of subsequent banknotes.

Sorted banknotes are provided to output hoppers 1014 depending on thesort process. For example, a detector may be provided for determiningthe denomination of each banknote and another detector for determiningauthenticity. If a banknote is found to be authentic and itsdenomination can be determined, it will be directed to a particularoutput hopper for stacking genuine banknotes with that denomination. Allother documents either non-genuine or unreadable banknotes or separatorsare fed to the reject hopper 1014R.

The processing data associated with a deposit amount originally situatedbetween the separator documents is sent by the currency sorting machine260 via network 231A to vault management server 210. The server thenpopulates the deposit count and processing data at step 925 using theunique deposit identifier as an index.

Reject banknotes fed to the reject hopper 1014R remain sandwichedbetween their associated separator documents and form reject depositbatches. These reject deposit batches are then taken to a rejectprocessing station wherein the reject notes are processed a second timeat stage 930 to ascertain the reason for rejection and/or possibledetect good notes that were not detected on the first pass (for exampleif they were rejected as overlapping or misfed notes). The reject datais also associated with the unique identifier on the header document andis sent to the vault management server to update the deposit count andprocessing data. Alternatively, the reject notes can be manuallyinspected by an operator. In this case the operator will manually scanthe barcode on the associated header document and enter the reject data.

Once process data for all the banknotes within the deposit has beenascertained then this data is automatically reconciled with dataobtained from the deposit slip at step 935. As with the first embodimentany discrepancies are flagged to a supervisor in a management reportproduced at step 940.

The benefits of the fourth embodiment are numerous. The depositprocessing is performed in one continuous process and a high level ofaccuracy, integrity and security is maintained. Added security can beprovided by performing the processing “blind”, i.e. the operatorresponsible for operating the counter and/or entering reject informationis unaware of the depositor details.

A fifth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in theflowchart of FIG. 12. This embodiment incorporates customer processingof cash deposits before said deposits are delivered to the cashprocessing centre, commonly referred to as “pre-advisement”. The“pre-advisement” method discussed below preferably uses radio frequencyidentification (RFID) devices in order to facilitate data managementduring the cash deposit process; however, the method can equally beapplied within the RFID functionality, with the loss of certainadvantages. Reference to a customer refers to a customer of the cashprocessing centre.

In the flowchart of FIG. 12, steps 1265 are performed by the customer ororganization making a deposit. As such, these steps may be performedupon the customer's premises or within their place of business, forexample within a back office in a retail environment. At step 1205, thecustomer prepares a new cash deposit. This deposit will typicallycomprise a quantity of cash, cheques and/or documents of value that thecustomer wishes to deposit at the cash processing centre. The length andcomplexity of this step will depend upon the size and nature of thecustomer and/or organization. For example, in a large retailorganization, a customer may move their till takings from the front ofthe shop to the back office after closing, wherein the takings will becounted and sorted to produce a deposit for that day of trade. Duringthe preparation of this deposit a deposit reference is typicallygenerated at step 1255 which allows the customer, and subsequently thecash processing centre, to identify the deposit. In certain embodimentsthe deposit reference may be an alpha-numeric code. The depositreference may be generated automatically at the end of trade or maybeactively generated by the customer upon preparing a new cash deposit.For example, a user may select a new deposit action from a userinterface present upon deposit management software running on a computerterminal in the retailer's back office.

The customer will then prepare the cash and/or articles of value fordeposit. This typically comprises sorting the articles for deposit intobundles of banknotes of a certain cash value or of a number of banknotesof a set denomination. This sorting may be performed in conjunction witha banknote sorter present upon the retailer's premises. For each bundledeposit generated by the retailer, the customer attaches one or moreseparator documents. These separator documents may comprise the headerand trailer cards 1118 and 1119 shown in FIG. 11. Two of these separatordocuments are placed around the bundle: a header card 1118 on the top ofthe bundle and a trailer card 1119 on the bottom of the bundle. Theseseparator documents may comprise plastic cards for durability, and bedesigned to be hard-wearing.

In the present case, the header card 1119, forming part of the separatordocuments attached to a bundle of banknotes, comprises a barcode and anRFID or wireless electronic chip. As each bundle is formed, such asbundles 1116, 1120 or 1124 in FIG. 11, the retailer will scan thebarcode present on the header card associated with each bundle. Thisbarcode will typically encode an identifying serial number oralpha-numeric code. This number or code is then associated with thedeposit reference calculated in step 1255 and step 1260.

The RFID chip typically comprises an integrated circuit and an antennaand may be similar to the chip shown in FIG. 14 and described in thesection on RFID Tracking below. The antenna is used for receiving andtransmitting a wireless or radio frequency signal and the integratedcircuit is typically used for storing an identifying serial number oralpha-numeric code and for modulating and demodulating the wirelessradio frequency signal. On supply to the customer the RFID chip is setto typically read-only. In a variation of step 1210, the customer mayalternatively prepare the bundle and then instead of scanning the headerbarcode, pass the bundle under a RFID reader which will communicate withthe RFID chip and retrieve the identifying serial number stored in thechip. This number is then associated with the deposit at step 1260. Theassociation is typically performed by storing the retrieved serialnumber and the deposit reference in a central database. This centraldatabase may be coupled to a web server accessible by both the customerand the cash processing centre over a WAN or may be database 215.Alternatively, the association may be stored in a local database at thecustomer's premises and then sent to the cash processing centre byelectronic communication. In certain embodiments, both the barcodeserial number and the RFID serial number may be stored with the depositreference. The RFID chip may also be located in a different separatordocument to that which contains the barcode.

In alternate embodiments that do not use an RFID chip, the customer orretailer may print their own header cards 1119. For example, at step1255, on creation of a new deposit and the generation of a new depositidentifier, the customer may be given an option to print one or moreheader cards containing the deposit identifier. A header card 1119 maybe printed onto adhesive labels, paper, card or plastic (amongst others)and the deposit identifier may be incorporated into the header card inthe form of a one or two dimensional barcode. This provides a cheapmethod of providing customers with header cards and enables the headercards to be disposed of, preferably recycled, after use.

During the preparation of the cash deposit at step 1205, the customerwill generate deposit information relating to each bundle. For example,this may be at least one of: date and time of processing, personnelpresent, location of processing, count information, the total value ofthe bundle, the number of notes of a particular denomination,authenticity information related to the notes within the bundle andfitness information such as the level of soil or tears. This depositdata may either be produced by hand, based on a manual count, andindividual inspection of each note within the bundle, or may be producedautomatically using a banknote sorter. If the information is produced byhand it may be recorded against the bundle RFID and/or barcode referenceusing a user interface displayed on a customer computer terminal. If theinformation is produced by the banknote counter it may be passed inelectronic form to the customer's computer for storage against thebundle RFID and/or barcode reference (and thus in turn the depositreference) or maybe displayed to the customer for manual entry againstthe bundle reference using a user interface. This allows a running totalof the current deposit to be calculated after processing each bundle.

The banknote sorter may be further adapted to take a plurality ofbanknotes and/or articles of value as input and produce a number ofbanknote bundles with pre-determined properties as output. For example,the banknote sorter may automatically produce bundles of one hundrednotes of each denomination, for example one hundred notes of 10 dollaror 10 euro value and then automatically place a header and trailer cardaround the bundle before the bundle is output to a sorter output tray orstack. The banknote sorter can then be adapted to read either thebarcode or the RFID chip serial number as the bundle is put together toautomatically associate the separator card or chip identifier with theprocessing details of the banknote bundle.

At step 1215, the produced cash bundles are placed into one or morecontainers ready for transportation to the cash processing centre. Eachcontainer may optionally also comprise a barcode and/or RFID chip, inwhich case a serial number or alpha-numeric code contained within thebarcode and/or RFID chip may be read and associated with the deposit andbundle references. The container is preferably made form anon-conductive material to facilitate the reading of RFID chips insidethe container. This then marks the end of processing at the customer endof the process flow.

At step 1220, the one or more containers containing the cash bundles aretransported to the cash processing centre. This step is typicallyperformed by a carrier operator who collects the one or more containersfrom the customer and delivers them to the cash processing centre. Inthe present example, the carrier operator is equipped to scan eachcontainer with an RFID reader. This allows the bundle identifiersassociated with RFID chips attached to each bundle to be read inside thecontainer. These identifiers can then be associated with the carrierand/or route details such as the present driver or security personnel,the time and date of collection, and other relevant information. Thebundle identifiers may be associated with the carrier and/or routedetails in a database record and stored locally in a storage devicepresent within the carrier vehicle. These records may then be downloadedupon arrival at the cash processing centre. Alternatively, each vehicleor carrier operator may be provided with a wireless or mobile data entrydevice, such as a PDA or mobile phone. This device may also comprise theRFID reader and a barcode reader and thus the header and containeridentifiers read from the container may be transmitted wirelessly to acentral server wherein the deposit records can be updated accordingly.If these carrier details are linked with the header identifiers thenthey may be retrieved from the central database using the identifiers asan input to a query at step 1225 when the containers are scanned onarrival in the reception area 151.

Once the one or more containers reach the cash processing centre, steps1270 are performed within the centre. The present example will bedescribed in relation to a cash processing centre such as that describedin the second embodiment. However, it is also possible to use a cashprocessing centre as described with relation to the first embodiment.Hence, when the one or more containers containing the bundles ofbanknotes arrive at the cash processing centre, they enter into thereception area 151 wherein reception processing 150 begins. However, incontrast to the reception processing 150 of the second embodiment, theuse of RFID chips associated with each cash bundle greatly simplifiesthe steps that need to be performed by the operator in the receptionstage. Instead of entering deposit details into a user interface, theoperator in the reception area 151 simply scans each container at step1225 with a RFID reader to obtain the serial numbers of all the cashbundles present within the scanned container. Alternatively, thisscanning may be performed automatically by a scanning gate at theentrance to the reception area 151. These serial numbers are thenprocessed by the reception module of the vault management system. Thisprocessing typically involves using the serial numbers in a databasequery to retrieve the deposit records generated at steps 1205 and 1255within the retailer's premises. For example, the reception module mayaccess a central server or database wherein the deposit and processinginformation related to each bundle identifier is stored. Once thedeposit reference associated with the one or more cash bundles isretrieved, data related to that deposit, such as the customer name andaddress, total value of the deposit or any other preadvised data thatwas entered at the customer's premises, may be displayed onscreen forvisual verification by the operator in the reception area 151. Thereception processing 150 may also involve verifying that all the RFIDserial numbers associated with bundles placed in each container by thecustomer are also detected on the scan performed by the operator. If oneor more RFID serial numbers are not detected, or alternatively one ormore RFID serial numbers not associated with the customer's deposit aredetected, then this is recorded and a warning may be flagged to theoperator or their supervisor. If the RFID serial numbers match, the oneor more containers and/or the RFID and/or barcode serial numbersassociated with each cash bundle within each container are assigned tothe current operator and/or area. If a scanning gate is provided at theentrance to the reception area, the carrier vehicle or containers fromthe vehicle may be scanned on entry to the reception area 151 to checkfor the presence of RFID chips. If a scanning gate is used audio and/orvisual and/or tactile feedback may be provided to indicate when acontainer has been successfully scanned. Scanning gates are particularlyuseful to track RFID items crossing boundary 140, i.e. entering thevault. The serial numbers read back from located RFID chips may then bereconciled with the data recorded by the carrier operator.

In one particular embodiment, the RFID reader may be part of a thin,wall-mounted, dual-purpose scanner and display that would enablescanning on receipt. Such a scanner and display may comprise one or moreof: a multi-directional barcode laser scanner, an RFID reader andantenna, a wireless networking module and/or fixed network capability, alarge display and/or keypad for input. The scanner and the display arepreferably constructed to withstand a collision from a trolley or otherheavy apparatus within the cash processing centre.

As in the second embodiment, after the containers have been scanned inthe reception area 151, the cash bundles are transferred to the depositprocessing area 111 wherein deposit processing 110 is performed.Typically, deposit processing 110 is performed in a similar manner tothat described in the fourth embodiment, however, the various stepsdescribed herein may also be performed manually in association with thedeposit processing described in relation to the first embodiment. Thetransfer of ownership to the deposit area and/or deposit operator mayinvolve logging the transfer of the bundle identifiers to keep track ofall bundles of cash.

At step 1235 the cash bundles are removed from the one or morecontainers and prepared for processing by a banknote sorter. In contrastto the fourth embodiment, the cash to be counted and processed isalready provided in bundles with separator documents and therefore thesecash bundles may be simply retrieved from the one or more containers andplaced on a deposit tray ready for feeding to a currency sorting machine260. The currency sorting machine 260 is typically adapted to eitherread the barcode serial numbers present on one of the separatordocuments or the RFID serial number on each cash bundle at step 1240 andthus is able to look up the deposit identifiers related to the bundleidentifiers and then record processing data generated by the currencysorting machine 260 against the deposit record. For example, as in thefourth embodiment, the currency sorting machine may incorporate one ormore of counting authentication, fitness and denomination sorting.Information related to one or more of these areas may be stored underthe deposit reference that is linked to the presently processed cashusing the bundle identifier. This is shown in step 1245.

This then allows the sort information associated with each bundle thatwas recorded at the customer's premises to be reconciled with the sortinformation generated by the currency sorting machine 260. Any errors,irregularities or discrepancies may then be reported to senior personneland recorded against the deposit. For example, the counted value of eachbundle, as calculated by the currency sorting machine 260, may becompared with the value of each bundle as entered or calculated duringdeposit processing at the customer's premises. In one example, if theserial numbers of each banknote in a given bundle were recorded duringdeposit processing at steps 1265 then these could be checked against theserial numbers of each banknote as recorded by the currency sortingmachine 260. After processing by the currency sorting machine 260, theseparator documents are removed from the bundles as the cash istypically resorted and recombined with other deposits for ease ofdeposit into the vault 121. In this case, the separator documents aresent to a reject pocket such as 1014R in FIG. 10, which involvesdeallocating the serial numbers of the separator documents from thedeposit at step 1250 so the same separator documents may be reused forother deposits. For example, the separator documents can be recollectedand resent to the customer for future deposits.

Several variations of the fifth embodiment may be applied withoutdeviating from the scope of the present invention. Instead of bundlingthe cash to be deposited, a durable plastic tag containing an RFID chipmay be included in the deposit container together with the cash to bedeposited. A serial number associated with the tag is associated withthe deposit by either scanning the tag with an RFID reader, scanning abarcode printed on the tag or manually entering a serial number printedon the tag. Deposit information produced by the customer is thenassociated with the serial number of the tag. On arrival at the cashprocessing this tag may be read and processed in a similar manner to theseparator documents described previously. The tag may be also scanned bythe carrier operator during delivery.

If the security of the deposit is monitored from the time of customerdeposit processing to deposit in the vault 121 then the methods of thefifth embodiment may be used to enable the value of the deposit to beadded to the customer's financial account at the date and time ofcustomer deposit processing, i.e. enable customers to pass value atsource.

A further variation of the fifth embodiment uses RFID devices with aquantity of writeable memory. The customer is equipped with a RFIDwriter that enables the previously discussed deposit and/or processingdata related to each banknote bundle and/or total cash deposit to bewritten to a memory within an RFID device associated with the bundleand/or deposit. Hence, instead of retrieving deposit and/or processingdata using the serial numbers of the RFID chips, such data may be readdirectly from the memory of the chip itself.

A sixth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in theflowchart of FIG. 13. This embodiment uses radio frequency identified(RFID) devices in order to simplify the order preparation process byallowing the bulk scanning of outgoing customer orders to verify theircontents.

One set of processing which is performed during vault processing 120 isthe re-bundling of sets of banknotes in bundles of a predetermineddenomination and optionally of a particular fitness. Each bundle is thensecured with one or more plastic straps. The strapping process may alsobe performed by a strapping machine that is adapted to sort and processthe banknotes before automatically applying straps to any sortedbundles.

In the present case, RFID devices or tags are embedded or attached tothe banknote straps that secure each bundle and this RFID tag is used toidentify the bundle and optionally to store data related to the noteswithin the bundle. Each RFID device may resemble that shown anddescribed in relation to FIG. 14. The method of FIG. 13 shows a suitablestrapping process. At step 1305, a quantity of banknotes are sorted andprocessed. This may involve a manual sort or may involve a sort by abanknote sorter or strapping machine. Examples of sort criteria aredenomination, currency, fitness, issue, or banknote recycling framework(BRF) type. The output of this sorting process is typically a bundle ofbanknotes with predetermined properties, for example 100×10 eurobanknotes. At step 1310, a strap is applied to the sorted bundle ofbanknotes to secure the bundle. This strapping process may be performedmanually by an operator or may be performed by a strapping machine. Atstep 1315, an RFID serial number or alpha-numeric code associated withan RFID tag attached or embedded within the current strap is read andrecorded by the vault management system. This read operation may beperformed by the strapper machine using an inbuilt reader or may beperformed by the operator using a handheld reader. It is also possibleto read the strap identifier before step 1310. Once the serial number oralpha-numeric code of the RFID tag has been read, a data record iscreated, wherein the properties of the bundle of banknotes, as recordedby the strapper machine or the operator, are associated with the strapidentifier. Hence the properties and value of the bundle of banknotesmay be recalled using the strap identifier as an index. The propertiesof the bundle of banknotes may include one or more of: number of notes,denomination of notes, quality or fitness of notes, issue number,banknote serial number etc. This association of the bundle data with thestrap is performed at step 1320. In alternate embodiments, steps 1315and 1320 may comprise writing the processing data related to a bundle ofbanknotes onto memory coupled to the RFID tag mounted in the strap. Inthis case, the strapping machine or the operator will be equipped withan RFID writing device which will write the required information to thememory coupled to the RFID tag.

At step 1325, a decision is made as to whether strapped bundles ofbanknotes should be strapped into bundles of even larger value. Forexample, a number of bundles each containing one hundred banknotes of aparticular denomination may be strapped to form a larger bundle of athousand banknotes of that denomination, i.e. by strapping tenpreviously strapped bundles. Again, this may be carried out by asuitably adapted strapping machine or by an operator. If strapping ofstrapped bundles is required, then the strapped bundles are themselvesstrapped at step 1335 and a strap identifier or serial number associatedwith an RFID tag attached or embedded within the strap applied to thestrapped bundles is read at step 1340. The data associated with thepreviously strapped bundles and the further strapping process is thenassociated with the strap identifier of the larger bundle at step 1345.For example, if ten previously strapped bundles are to be strapped tocreate a larger bundle, then the strap identifiers of the ten previouslystrapped bundles may be registered with the strap identifier of thestrap wrapping the previously strapped bundles. After the bundles ofbanknotes have been strapped one or more times, the strapped bundles areeither stored or moved to an area where they may be ready for orderprocessing at step 1330. Typically, the method 1300 is performed withinthe vault area 121 although it may alternatively be performed as part ofthe deposit processing 110 or the order processing 130.

The bundles of banknotes are then used to pick an order as shown in FIG.6. An order is received from a customer and the ownership of the bundlesis transferred from the vault area 121 or a vault operator to the orderprocessing area 131 or an order processing operator. The order is thenmanually picked and a bag or container is filled according to thisorder. During this stage the order processing operator may optionallyread the RFID serial numbers of the bundles and store these serialnumbers with the customer order record. This may facilitate futureauditing and customer management. After the order has been picked atstep 640, the container or bag can now be sealed as each bundle ofbanknotes within the bag or container has been strapped with a strapincorporating an RFID tag; to verify the value of a container or bag allthe operator need now do is to scan the bag or container with an RFIDreader which will retrieve the RFID strap identifiers and/or the valueof notes from RFID memory. If the strap identifiers are read, then thesecan be used as an index to a central database to retrieve the value ofthe bundles. Hence the value or other details of a sealed order may beverified at any other further point after the order has been picked,including during despatch processing 160. For example, before an orderis loaded onto a carrier for transport to a customer, the sealed bag orcontainer may be scanned by an operator using a handheld RFID scanner toconfirm that the contents agree with the details of the order placed bythat customer. As well as verifying the contents of an order using dataretrieved from the RFID devices, further verification may be performedby weighing the container. Using order data retrieved from the vaultmanagement system the expected weight of the order may be calculated andcompared with a measured weight of the order. This verification wouldinvolve adjusting for the weight of the container and straps. A moreprecise expected weight may also be calculated using the banknote dataretrieved after reading the strap identifiers of the bundles within thecontainer.

Additionally, the RFID tags on the bundle may be used to transferownership of the bundles. For example, once a bundle is strapped, it maybe assigned to an operator in the vault processing area 121. Duringtransfer of the bundle from the vault processing area to the orderprocessing area 131, ownership of the bundles may be transferred as wellusing the methods of the present invention. This method may also allowthe automatic picking of orders through automatically reading the RFIDserial numbers of bundles to ascertain their value and then to use thisinformation to automatically pick a predetermined quantity of notes foran order.

The final recipient of the cash order may also use the RFID devicesattached to the strapped bundles to check that their order is correct.By scanning a container containing one or more tagged bundles thatcomprise a cash order, the recipient is able to confirm the value of asealed container as discussed above. This may be performed by receivingand integrating data stored in memory coupled to each RFID device or maybe achieved by using the serial numbers associated with, and read from,each RFID device to perform a query on a central database to which thecustomer has access. In this manner the customer may check that theirorder is complete before opening the container and officially acceptinga delivery of an order.

As well as associating details of the banknotes with the strapidentifier at step 1320, other details relating to the processing mayalso be associated with the serial number or alpha-numeric code of theRFID tag. For example, data such as the date of strapping or processing,time of strapping or processing, operator in charge of strapping orprocessing, sorting machine, strapping machine, processing performed,and/or area of processing may be associated with the RFID tag. Again,this association may be performed by storing data within memory coupledto the RFID tag or may be performed by associating the serial number oralpha-numeric code of the RFID tag with data in a database record storedwithin the vault management system. If a problem arises with aparticular bundle of banknotes, useful data can be retrieved from thevault management system: for example, the exact machine that producedthe strap may be investigated and/or the time of strapping may be linkedto the security camera system in order to allow a visual check of thestrapping process; alternatively if there is a note quality orauthenticity concern, the sorting or strapping machine ID may be used toretrieve the sort parameters active at the time of sorting or strapping.

In the above embodiment an identifier comprising a serial number oralpha-numeric code is associated with a bundle of banknotes by way of anRFID device embedded in the strap of the bundle. In one variation theRFID device need not be used and the identifier is printed on each strapor bundling device by the cash processing system. In another variationstrapped bundles may need to be separated before being deposited in acontainer. If this is required the RFID devices in each strap may bescanned before the strap is removed and the banknotes in the bundle areplaced in the container. At this point data comprising properties of thebanknotes in each bundle may be retrieved using the scanned identifier.Such data may then be associated with an identifier of the container.This technique may be used, for example, when filling an ATM cassette.

While the method of the sixth embodiment has been described in relationto a strap it is also possible to use alternative means to secure sortednumbers of banknotes. For example, output cassettes, plastic containersor envelopes may alternatively be used, wherein an RFID is inserted orattached to the cassettes or envelopes. In these cases the strappingmachine will be adapted to output the collection of banknotes in therequired form. The RFID tag may also be incorporated into aprint-on-demand label which may then be attached to a bundle of notes.

To facilitate the transfer process described in relation to FIGS. 3A and3B radio frequency identification devices or RFID tags may be installedupon the containers used to transfer the cash. These RFID tags may beused in a similar way to the barcodes present on the containers thatwere described earlier.

An example of a suitable RFID tag is shown in FIG. 14. The tag 1400comprises a tag substrate 1410, an aerial 1420, a controller 1430 andoptional memory 1450. The controller may comprise an integratedtransmitter and/or receiver. Tag 1400 is passive and so has no internalpower source. The aerial 1420 receives power from an external reader.Radio frequency signals emitted from the external reader impinge onaerial 1420 and enable the controller 1430 to modulate the receivedsignal or to “backscatter” a carrier wave to return a signal to theexternal reader carrying information related to the RFID tag 1400.Typically the tag 1400 comprises memory 1450 which contains a serialnumber or alpha-numeric code. This serial number or alpha-numeric codeidentifies the tag and typically comprises a plurality of bits of data.Upon receiving a radio frequency signal from an external reader thecontroller 1430 is typically adapted to modulate the received signal insuch a way that the tag identifier can be extracted from signalsreceived back at the external reader.

A tag 1400 as shown in FIG. 14 may be applied to a container tofacilitate the transport process shown in FIG. 3A. In the previouslydescribed example, at step 325, a barcode applied to the container wasscanned in order to achieve a serial number or identifier related to thecontainer. In the present case at step 325 an RFID tag applied to acontainer may be scanned to retrieve a serial number or other identifierassociated with the tag. If this serial number was previously associatedwith the deposit items within the container then details relating to thedeposit items within the container may be retrieved from centraldatabase 215 by scanning the tag and retrieving the serial number. Byusing an RFID tag instead of a barcode, information may be gainedconcerning the deposit items within a container from a distance. Thismay enable multiple containers comprising RFID tags to be scanned in aset area before a plurality of containers are transferred. To reduceinterference and transmission problems the containers may be constructedfrom a material that does not interfere with the propagation of E-Mradiation, for example certain polymers.

A container equipped with an RFID tag may also be used to record theevents surrounding a transfer as described in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Forexample if a cash processing centre resembling FIG. 1D is used a numberof passive gates adapted to interrogate RFID tags may be installed atgateways 156,116,126 and 136. When a container comprising an RFID tag ispassed through one of these passive gates, i.e. through one of thegateways 156,116,126 or 136, the RFID tag is detected and its serialnumber retrieved by control systems attached to the passive gates. Thisthen allows a transfer event to be generated documenting that a transferhas occurred between two neighbouring areas joined by the detectinggateway. To determine the direction of travel of the container theretrieved serial number of a detected RFID tag may be used to querycentral database 215 to retrieve the last location record concerning theRFID tag in question. This retrieved location then becomes the sourcelocation and the other area bordering the gateway becomes thedestination region. For example, if a container was last registered asbeing within deposit processing area 111 and is detected passing throughgateway 116 then it is assumed that a container comprising a detectedRFID chip is moving from deposit processing area 111 to vault processingarea 121.

In order to provide a closed system, passive gates may also be providedon all entrances and exits to the cash processing centre. For example,turning to the exemplary cash processing centre shown in FIG. 1E passivegates may be mounted around the entrance to reception area 151 anddispatch area 161. When a plurality of containers enter the receptionarea 151 within a delivery vehicle then the RFID tags associated withthose containers may be detected and the serial numbers associated withthe detected tags may be entered in to location records in centraldatabase 215. A location record will thus record the detected containersas being located within reception area 151. Likewise when a number ofcontainers in a delivery vehicle that contain customer orders leavesdispatch area 161, a passive gate will detect the RFID tags within thevehicle and record the associated containers as having left the cashprocessing centre.

If methods and apparatus according to the fifth or sixth embodiments areused then individual cash bundles may be tracked on entry and/or exit toparticular areas using RFID tags located in either the header or trailerdocuments or the straps of bundled banknotes.

To facilitate end-to-end tracking of deposits throughout the depositprocess each deposit may be linked to a particular deposit identifierfrom pre-advertisement at the customer's premises to deposit processingand reject handling. To do this a particular RFID identifier related toa particular RFID tag may be associated with a container containing thedeposit. The container and/or the RFID tag then stays with the depositthroughout the deposit lifecycle. RFID readers at predeterminedlocations may then detect the RFID tag and retrieve the identifier. Thisthen allows real-time deposit tracking. For example, RFID readers may beprovided within CIT vehicles, in the reception area 151, at thepreparation and machine entry areas within deposit processing area 110,near or on cages temporarily storing deposit containers or within thevault. A similar system may also be used to track customer orders fromthe vault to the dispatch area and even possibly the CIT deliveryvehicle. This would then allow complete tracking from and to thecustomer.

The tracking of items within the cash centre using RFID technology maybe passive, based on the location of the last recorded transactioninvolving the RFID tag, or active, using the properties of the RFID tagto track the location of the tag in relation to one or more RFID readerspositioned nearby. For example, a container having an RFID tag and beingpositioned on a cage in a first area awaiting transfer to a second areamay be located by an overhead RF antenna positioned in the first area.The tracking system may also be used by CIT operators to retrievereal-time information on the status of cash orders. A plurality of RFIDreaders at a variety of stages during order preparation and dispatch mayreplace or complement existing CIT tracking systems. Using a singletracking method incorporating RFID would, however, greatly simplify theprocess.

An example of a deposit sequence using the methods discussed above isshown in FIG. 19. At step 1910, an RFID tag attached to a container isdetected on entry to the cash processing centre (CPC) and an entry eventis generated at step 1940 and stored in central database 215. The RFIDidentifier associated with the RFID tag is also retrieved and stored inthe entry event record. The vault management server 210 is thenconfigured to, at step 1915, use the retrieved RFID identifier toretrieve a pre-advisement record containing deposit data that wasgenerated by the customer and sent to, or recorded in, central database215. At this point the vault management server generates an ownershiptransfer event at step 1945 to assign ownership of the deposit storedwithin the tagged container to the reception area 151. The deposit maybe referenced using the deposit reference generated in step 1255 of FIG.12. After reception processing has been performed the container, andthus deposit, is moved at step 1920 to the deposit processing area 111.This typically involves passing the container through a gateway with anassociated RF scanning reader attached. The scanning reader detects theRFID tag attached to the container and sends a message to the vaultmanagement server 210. The vault management server 210 then looks up theprevious position of the RFID tag (or associated deposit) and uses thisto determine the direction of travel through the gateway. The vaultmanagement server 210 is then configured, at step 1950, to generate atransfer record indexed by the retrieved RFID identifier of the RFID tagand to assign ownership of the associated deposit to the depositprocessing area 111. At step 1925, an operator or banknote sorter scansthe RFID tag before deposit processing takes place so that datagenerated by the deposit processing can be compared, and possiblyreconciled, with the original deposit data generated as part of steps1265 in FIG. 12. This comparison is performed at step 1955 and theresult is stored in the central database 215. After deposit processing,at step 1930, the container is repacked with the deposit and thentransferred to the vault processing area 121 for unloading and storage.During the physical transfer of the container from the depositprocessing area 111 to the vault processing area 121, another gatewayscanning reading detects the RFID tag and a transfer record andownership assignment are generated at step 1960, in a similar manner tostep 1950. Within the vault the container is unpacked and the RFID tagattached to the container is de-allocated from the deposit removed fromthe container at step 1935.

Some advantages of the RFID technology described above are:

-   -   efficient confirmation of containers and/or bags received from a        CIT vehicle, by using RFID tags to track deposits and provide        associated data manual counting and/or quantity reconciliation        is avoided;    -   efficient loading of deposit and manifest data for further        sorting during deposit processing, this increases the speed with        which transfers between areas can be achieved;    -   the presence of deposits to be processed and their corresponding        location can be ascertained;    -   manual typing and its associated risk of error is reduced;    -   the presence of articles of value in the vault area may be        accurately ascertained, together with the entry and exit times        of such items; and    -   all items that are ready to be placed in the vault can be        monitored.

RFID technology may also be used to facilitate the processing of securecassettes for automated teller machines (ATMs). Such cassettes aretypically mounted within ATMs and supply cash for withdrawal. U.S. Pat.No. 6,976,634 B2 provides an example of a secure cassette and its usewithin an ATM, wherein the cassette may be supplied with an embeddedRFID tag. A cassette may also be compartmentalised to store differenttypes of currency; for example, a cassette may have one compartment tosupply cash to the ATM for withdrawal by a customer, one compartment tostore any notes that have been rejected by the ATM, and a thirdcompartment for cash deposits made into the ATM.

The presence of an RFID within the structure of the cassette ordeposited with cash within the cassette may facilitate thereconciliation process performed when the cassette is returned to a cashprocessing centre. The lifecycle of a cassette begins when it isselected as a container in order processing 130. The cassette may befilled according to the steps shown in FIG. 6. At step 635 an RFIDalpha-numeric identifier associated with the cassette may be registeredwith the order being processed. This may be performed by scanning thecassette with a hand-held RFID reader. After the order has been pickedat step 640, data associated with the order, such as total cash amount,denominations present and note quality may optionally be wirelesslyloaded onto memory coupled to the RFID through the RF channel. Suchmemory may form part of the RFID itself or the electronics of thecassette. During despatch, delivery and installation the RFID may beused to track the physical location of the cassette as described above.After installation the ATM may access the memory coupled to the RFID,either through the RF channel or a local connection to electronicswithin the cassette, and download data associated with the order toupdate its own records.

During use and/or before removal of the cassette, the ATM maycommunicate with the memory to update various fields of data. Forexample, the ATM may record details of all cash withdrawn from ordeposited into the cassette and details of notes deposited into a rejectcompartment. Depending on the size of the memory and the hardware of theATM, this data may relate to individual notes indexed by serial numberor may relate to final totals for each compartment. The ATM and/orcassette may also be adapted to determine when data values indicate thatthe cassette requires emptying or refilling and automatically place anorder for pick-up and delivery to the cash processing centre.

After removal and delivery to the cash processing centre, data storedwith memory may be read by operators in the reception 150 and/or depositprocessing 110 stages. For example, in a similar manner to the“pre-advisement” methods described above, the operator may scan theRFID, download data concerning the cash contained within the cassetteand use such data to populate fields within the vault management system200 in preparation for the reconciliation performed during depositprocessing 110, e.g. automatically obtain the data required to performsteps 515 as shown in FIG. 5A.

In certain circumstances, ATM reliability can be increased if securecassettes are matched with individual ATMs. For example, matingmechanisms on both cassette and ATM may wear and be displaced over time;however, for a given cassette and ATM pairing such wear and displacementwill be complementary. To facilitate the correcting pairing of a givencassette and ATM, an RFID may be used.

According to a particular embodiment, the secure cassette is permanentlyassociated with a particular RFID. For example, the cassette may befitted with a read/write (R/W) RFID coupled to a memory. The memory maycomprise a protected area that is read-only; this area contains a dataidentifier. The data identifier may be permanently associated with anATM identifier, either via intermediary means, such as an association ina relational database, or directly, i.e. the data identifier maycomprise the ATM identifier. When a paired cassette is required, theorder, as described in the method of FIG. 6, stipulates that a cassettewith a particular data identifier must be used. The operator performingthe order processing 130 then locates a or the cassette with thestipulated data identifier and scans the cassette with an RFID-reader.If the cassette does not have the required data identifier the orderprocessing module will not allow the operator to continue with the orderprocessing 130. If the cassette does have the required data identifierthe operator fills the cassette as discussed in relation to step 640 andmay additionally upload data related to the order to the memory. Thecassette may then be dispatched, delivered and installed in theappropriate paired ATM dictated in the order. The ATM may also be ableto download the order data from the memory as described above.

Another use of RFID tag 1400 is shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B. In thisexample the cages or trolleys that are used to respectively store ortransport containers within the cash processing centre are equipped withRFID passive scanning gates in order to detect any RFID tags placedwithin them. If each RFID tag is associated with a container then thelocation of containers containing cash deposits can be traced throughoutthe cash processing centre. FIG. 15A shows an end view of a trolley 1510for transporting containers around the cash processing centre. Thetrolley 1510 has a number of wheels 1520 which enable it to be wheeledaround the different areas of the cash processing centre. The trolley1510 is further provided with one or more RFID passive scanning readers1530 which are attached to the trolley 1510. In the present example thetrolley comprises four passive RFID readers, one mounted in eachvertical corner member of the trolley. In use, the trolleys transport anumber of containers 1550 around the cash processing centre. Thesecontainers 1550 have an associated RFID tag 1400, for example whereintag substrate 1410 is affixed to the side of a container. Atpredetermined intervals each passive scanning gate 1530 will emit anumber of radio frequency signals 1314 which are used to detect thepresence of an RFID tag within the range of each passive scanningreader. An RFID tag may be detected by modulating or backscattering theradio frequency signals 1540 as described earlier. Thus the serialnumber or identifier associated with any RFID tag in the location ofeach passive scanning reader may be retrieved. In FIG. 15A no containeris placed upon the trolley 1510 and thus no backscatter signal isreceived by the passive RFID scanning readers 1530.

FIG. 15B shows a side view of the trolley 1510, wherein a container 1550has now been placed upon the trolley. When a container 1550 comprisingan RFID tag 1400 is placed upon the trolley 1510, the RFID tag 1400backscatters one or more of the radio frequency read signal 1540 emittedby the passive scanning readers 1530. In the example shown in FIG. 15B,passive scanning reader 1530A is the closest device to container 1550and so reader 1530A receives a response signal 1560 that has beenmodified by tag 1400. Reader 1530A thus detects the response signal 1560and decodes the serial number associated with RFID tag 1400. Hence, thenumber of containers present within the trolley 1510 may be detected bythe passive scanning readers 1530 and the serial numbers of each tagattached to each container may also be retrieved. In the present examplethe trolley 1510 is mobile and so the trolley further comprises awireless transmitter 1570 which allows the reading apparatus 1530 tocommunicate over a wireless network with the vault management systemrunning on server 210. The serial numbers associated with the RFID tagcan then be related to containers and deposits so that the location ofeach deposit may be known.

A cage may also be adapted as described above and will typicallyresemble the trolley 1510 in FIGS. 15A, 15B without the presence of thewheels 1520. Both cages and trolleys may be provided with doors and/orpanels on one or more sides of the frame 1510. The passive scanningreaders 1530 may alternatively comprise a closed loop antenna mountedaround the edges of the cage or trolley, e.g. forming a closed looparound all four edges of the trolley or cage. The passive scanningreaders 1530 may also be placed on the top and bottom of the cage and/ortrolley as well as or instead of being placed on the sides of thetrolley and/or cage. As a cage is typically stationary the detectioncontrol systems linked to the passive scanning readers 1530 may also belinked to the central databases over a standard wired Ethernet link. TheRFID tags may also comprise active or powered RFID tags and thus thepassive scanning readers 1530 will comprise active scanning readers.

By using cages and/or trolleys with built-in RFID scanning readers thevault management software is able to track which containers move in andout of each trolley and/or cage within the cash processing centre.Hence, an operator or manager may be able to instantly find out thevalue of any cage and/or trolley within the centre by retrieving thecash or deposit information that has been associated with each containeror the RFID tag 1400. In certain cash processing centres each cageand/or trolley may have a certain insurance limit. This means that thecage and/or trolley can only be loaded with a certain amount of cash.The RFID scanning reader thus allows the value of any cage and/ortrolley to be calculated by the vault management system and if theinsurance limit is exceeded then a warning can be displayed. Events thatrecord when a container 1550 enters a cage and/or trolley may also beused together with CCTV systems to retrieve video footage of thecontainer being placed into the cage and/or trolley or being removedfrom the cage and/or trolley.

In a variation to the apparatus shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B the trolley1510 may itself comprise an RFID tag 1400. When a container 1550 isplaced upon the trolley 1510 the RFID tag of the trolley and the RFIDtag of the container are read by a handheld reader or a static reader inthe vicinity of the trolley. The identifier of the RFID tag attached tothe trolley is then linked to the identifier of the RFID tag attached tothe container on the trolley. The trolley and the container may then belinked within the vault management system, e.g. within database 215, toallow the location of container 1550 to be ascertained. At certainintervals a RFID scanning reader external to the trolley 1510 may thenbe used to scan the trolley to verify that the records stored within thevault management system, i.e. the number of container tags present onthe trolley, match the data stored in the database.

In a similar manner, the trays that are loaded with cash deposits beforeprocessing by a banknote sorter or currency sorting machine may alsocomprise an associated RFID tag. If the methods of identifying bundlesof cash used in the fifth and sixth embodiments are used then thebundles of cash present upon a tray may be linked with an identifierassociated with the RFID tag attached to the tray by scanning the trayany accompanying deposits with an RFID reader. This then returns thetray tag identifier and the deposit identifiers which can then be linkedwithin the vault management system. Hence the vault management system isable to keep a record of the expected value of each tray within the cashprocessing centre. By keeping track of the value of each bundle of cashplaced on the tray a manager may also be provided with information aboutthe total value of cash upon the tray. This total value of the tray maybe used to keep within insurance limits and/or used to track whetherthere is enough deposited cash to keep the banknote sorter or currencysorting machine running at a predetermined capacity. If a tray isscanned before a processing operation upon the currency processingmachine 260 is performed, then the data associated with the processingof the deposits upon the tray may be verified against data related tothe deposits that were recorded before the operation. The banknotesorter or currency sorting machine may also be adapted to use a list ofexpected cash bundle or header card identifiers and thus the sorter ormachine may be further adapted to stop operation if an RFID tag isdetected that has an identifier that is not on the list. This techniquemay also be used to pair users and devices or storage containers andunits.

An extension of the use of RFID tags and RFID readers to ascertain thelocation of cash within the cash processing sensor, both in the form ofcustomer deposits and orders, involves the use of an advanced activeRFID device in association with a wireless positioning system. Theexample below is described in relation to a wireless trilaterationsystem, however the methods and systems may be adapted to operate usingother known positioning systems, such as those that involve wirelesstriangulation or global positioning systems such as NAVSTAR GPS.

Wireless trilateration systems typically allow location tracking ofsuitably adapted RFID devices using a wireless local area network (LAN).Typically, an IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless LAN is constructed with aplurality of wireless access points. A RFID device is then adapted tocommunicate with these access points upon the wireless LAN usingstandard protocols and each RFID device may be uniquely identified by anaddress string such as the network MAC address of the RFID device. Inuse, when an RFID device communicates with three or more wireless accesspoints the RFID device may be located by examining the signal strengthof radio frequency communications between the RFID device and each ofthe three or more access points. Such a system is easy to implementusing existing wireless LAN infrastructure that has been designed fordata communication. An example of a suitable wireless trilaterationsystem is that provided by Pango Networks Incorporated.

A seventh embodiment of the present invention directed to a wirelesstrilateration system adapted for use in a cash processing centre isshown in FIG. 17. This example features a simplified cash processingcentre as described in relation to the first embodiment; however thewireless trilateration system may be expanded for use in a cashprocessing centre of any size or layout. Each area of the exemplary cashprocessing centre 106 has a number of wireless access points 1720. Inthe present example, two wireless access points are positioned in thedeposit 121 and order 131 processing areas and four wireless accesspoints are positioned within the vault processing area 121. The accesspoints are positioned so that an RFID device located anywhere within thecash processing centre will be able to communicate with at least threeaccess points at any one time. In the present example, the access pointsare connected to a wired Ethernet network 1730. This wired network 1730is connected to a location server 1710. The location server 1710 isconfigured to send data to and receive data from the access points 1720.

Location server 1710 is connected to the vault management server 210 viaa network comprising router 235A. Hence, the location server 1710 isintegrated into the vault management system in a similar way to the CCTVsystem shown in FIG. 8. The location server 1710 is also accessible froma remote client workstation 220C. This remote workstation 220Ccommunicates with the server 1710 via router 235B, WAN 245 and router235A. In certain embodiments of the present invention the locationserver 1710 may be incorporated within the vault management server 210rather than being incorporated in separate hardware as shown in FIG. 17.

Articles to be tracked within the cash processing centre are typicallyequipped with an RFID device. These articles may comprise one or more ofcages, guns, employees, bullion, trays, containers, cash bundles,trolleys, banknote sorters, and any other equipment used within the cashprocessing centre. Each RFID device is designed to communicate with theaccess points 1720 forming the wireless LAN. In use, due to the carefulpositioning of the access points within the cash processing centre, eachRFID device should be able to communicate with at least three accesspoints.

In the present example, the RFID device is adapted to emit a radiofrequency signal or “chirp” containing a unique device identifier atpredetermined intervals. For example, the RFID device may emit a numberof bits comprising the device MAC address at 20-second intervals. Thissignal or chirp is detected by any access points within range of theRFID device. Each of the access points within range then processes thereceived signal or chirp and forwards a message comprising the detectedsignal strength of the received signal and the unique device identifierto the location server 1710 over network 1730. The location server 1710is then adapted to use the received signal strength and deviceidentifier from at least three access points to calculate the positionof the RFID device and hence calculate the location of the article ofinterest. Typically, this is achieved by calculating the distance of thetagged object from the at least three receivers based on the signalstrength and known signal attenuations over a set distance. The positionof the object can then be found using standard geometry. Using such asystem articles can typically be located to within 0.5 meters.

In an alternative embodiment, directional antennas may be used in atriangulation system to detect the position of a tagged object. In thiscase only two directional receivers need be used. When a “chirp” isreceived from a tagged device each receiver records the direction inwhich the “chirp” has a maximum measured power or intensity. Two anglesare then calculated from the directions detected by both detectors andthese angles are used together with the known distance between thedetectors to calculate the position of the object. Such a system couldoperate on similar hardware to that shown in FIG. 17.

In the present example, the calculated location is used to update alocation database 1715. Location database 1715 may comprise an objectorientated database comprising a collection of object recordscorresponding to each of the tagged articles within the cash processingcentre. Each object record may be indexed and retrieved using the uniquedevice identifier of the RFID device attached to each article. Eachobject record also has a location property. This location property maybe given as a 2-dimensional coordinate corresponding to a locationwithin the cash processing centre. To enable real time or near real timemonitoring of articles within the cash processing centre this locationproperty may be updated at predetermined intervals using the calculatedlocation information.

FIG. 18 illustrates how the location server 1710 and location database1750 are used to track articles within a cash processing centre. FIG. 18shows an example client terminal or workstation 1840. This workstationcould be remote workstation 220C as shown in FIG. 17. The workstation1840 runs a location module that operates as part of the vaultmanagement system. This location module comprises a client applicationthat operates upon the workstation 1840 and that communicates with thelocation server 1710 to provide location information. In alternativeembodiments the client application may instead communicate with thevault management server 210, wherein the vault management server 210 inturn communicates with the location server 1710. The client applicationmay be an Internet or “web” browser adapted to communicate with one ormore of the location server or the vault management server acting as anInternet or “web” server.

The location module displays a schematic plan 1810 of the cashprocessing centre on a suitably designed graphical user interface. Thelocation of various articles 1820 and 1830 are then superimposed on thisplan 1810. This may be achieved by retrieving the location property of agiven article from the location database 1715. In FIG. 18 a firstarticle 1820 is shown as being located in the deposit processing area131 and a second article 1830 is shown as being located in orderprocessing area 121. The icons associated with each article may thenmove around the schematic plan 1810 in real-time as the locationproperty of each object is updated by the location server 1710 (or nearreal-time depending on the update interval). The location module mayfurther be adapted to alert an operator when a selected article travelsto an unauthorized area, for example outside of the building limits. Thelocation system shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 may also by integrated withcash in transit (CIT) tracking and GPS (Geographical Positioning System)data to provide the real or near real time geographic location of adeposit or a cash bundle.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, delivery and articleroutes may be displayed on a third party mapping system that providesschematics maps of the area or country of operation, for example “GoogleMaps” provided by Google Incorporated of California, USA. Such routesmay be generated with or without the tracking system described above.Without the tracking system routes may be generated by passingparameters such as the post or ZIP codes of start and end destinationsto a third party application programming interface. This parameters andany date and/or time data may be retrieved automatically from recordsstored in database 215. For example, a route may be generated usingrecords pertaining to two or more of: a customer requiring a deposit, aCIT depot, the cash processing centre, a delivery address in a cashorder etc. Each route may have one or more intermediate points. With thetracking system described above data may be passed to the mappinginterface in real-time or at predetermined intervals. New routes maythus be created using this data or the data may be used to update and/oramend pre-existing routes. For example, a first route may be displayedfrom a customer address to the cash processing centre. Real-timelocation data may then be used to display the progress of a CIT vehicletravelling between the two locations, including timings and any detourstaken. Such a map may be displayed to a customer making a deposit orawaiting a cash order, for example a customer operating a client devicesimilar to device 220C. The mapping system may also provide a map of thecustomer's premises, the cash processing centre, and any stop off pointsalong the route of the CIT operator.

The history of when a particular RFID tag was scanned and detected mayalso be added to the location map using transfer or detection eventinformation stored in central database 215. By processing location datacollected over time, average timings of transport and standard routesboth inside and outside the cash processing centre may be established.Security alarms may then be raised if an article is detected asdeviating from an established route.

An RFID badge for use in tracking employees or operators using themethods described above is shown in FIG. 16. The badge 1610 comprises aphoto of the employee 1618 and a clip 1670 for attaching the badge 1610to the employee's clothing. Inside the badge (as represented by dottedlines 1690) is located an antenna 1620, a controller 1630, a powersupply 1660, and memory 1650. The antenna 1620, controller 1630 andmemory 1650 operate in a similar manner to the passive RFID tag shown inFIG. 14, however in the present case power supply 1660 allows a strongersignal to be emitted by antenna 1620 and more advanced processing to beperformed by controller 1630. Even though the badge in FIG. 16 isdescribed as using active RFID methods, it is also possible to use theapparatus of FIG. 14 to produce a passive RFID badge. Each RFIDcontroller 1630 may then be adapted to communicate with at least threeaccess points 1720 within the cash processing centre to locate theemployee.

As well as tracking employees around the cash processing centre the RFIDbadges may also be used to recognize the presence of an employee infront of a device and/or determine whether the employee is authorised touse the device. This may be performed in one of two ways.

In the first method, the triangulation system of FIG. 17 or any othersuitable location system is used to track the employee. When an employeeenters a location range in front of a particular workstation the vaultmanagement system may be adapted to compare the identity of theemployee, their present location and their security status toautomatically log them on to the vault management module relevant totheir job with the cash processing centre.

In the second method, an RFID reader is used to detect the RFID badge1610. In this case, the RFID badge 1610 may comprise a RFID chip thatmay be read either passively or actively over a limited range. FIG. 20Ashows a schematic illustration of three devices: banknote counter orsorter 230A, client workstation 220A and handheld barcode or RFIDscanner 225. Each device has an associated RFID reader 2010. The RFIDreader 2010 may be provided independently of the device, for exampleattached on, to or under each device as shown in FIG. 20A, or may bebuilt into each device, depending on the circumstances. The devices ofFIG. 20A are provided as an example and other devices may be adapted ina similar manner, for example the large sorter shown in FIG. 10.Furthermore, one or more RFID readers 2010 may be shared by one or moredevices, for example the RFID reader 2010 may be located under a tableworktop that is used by an operator operating all three devices in FIG.20A.

In FIG. 20A, when an operator or employee wearing RFID badge enterswithin range of one or more of the RFID readers 2010, the readerscommunicate with the RFID chip 1690. Controller 1630 may then retrievean alpha-numeric identification string, the “identifier”, from memory1650, together with any other optional data, and transmit this back toeach RFID reader 2010 using antenna 1620. If the badge uses active RFIDtechnology power will be supplied from power supply 1660. Each RFIDreader 2010 then receives the identifier and optional data andcommunicates with vault management server 210 and database 215,typically over a wired or wireless network. The identifier and optionaldata may then be used to authenticate and/or authorise the operator oremployee as shown in FIG. 20B.

FIG. 20B shows a method 2020 of authenticating and authorising a user.In certain embodiments only the authentication or authorisation stepsmay be performed. The method begins at step 2025 wherein a user equippedwith an RFID badge 1660 enters into the proximity field, i.e. the range,of an RFID reader 2010. Depending on the technology used, this activatesa number of processes in RFID chip 1690 under control of controller1630. Controller 1630 then at least retrieves an identifier from memory1650 and transmits this data at step 2030 to the RFID reader 2010 usingantenna 1620.

In the present example it will be assumed that RFID reader 2010 haslimited processing capability and passes any received data to the vaultmanagement server 210 over network 231. Vault management server 210 thenperforms the following processing steps. However, in other embodimentsthe following processing steps may be distributed across one or moredevices including the RFID reader and/or a local workstation.

At step 2030 the received identifier is used to lookup user data. Suchuser data may be stored in a user account as described earlier. Theidentifier may be a primary key for the user account or may beassociated with the user data in a relational database such as 215.Alternatively, the identifier may identify a user group as describedearlier. At step 2040 the user is authenticated, i.e. the user wearingthe RFID badge 1610 is identified. If the use of RFID badges is strictlycontrolled then it may be assumed that the identified user is correct.However, in most cases this level of trust will not exist and a furtherpassword may be required to fully authenticate the user. For example,when the user comes into close proximity to RFID reader 2010A, thebanknote sorter 230A may display an identified user name received fromvault management server 210 and prompt the user to enter his or herpassword to confirm authentication. The password may then be enteredusing an input device of the banknote sorter 230A. Even when a passwordis required this process reduces keying by a user by fifty percent. Asimilar procedure may be performed for client workstation 220A. Fordevices such as barcode or RFID scanner 225 that do not have a displayor input device, a further local device may be used to confirm theauthentication. For example, a user may be shown his or her user name onnearby client workstation 220A and be asked to enter his or her passwordusing the keyboard of the workstation.

If the user is not successfully authenticated, for example if theidentifier was not located in database 215, a password was incorrect, orthe user is no longer an employee, then access to the vault managementsystem is denied at step 2045. If the user is denied access an alert maybe also triggered to inform security and management personnel of anunauthenticated access attempt has been made, together with the locationand time of the attempt. At step 2035 video footage of the user, eithera still or moving image, may be optionally captured to visually confirmidentity or further biometric scans may be required instead of or aswell as a password.

If the user is successfully authenticated a check is then made at step2050 to determine if the user is authorised to use the device.Typically, this involves looking up user or user group data in adatabase such as database 215 for the authenticated user. For example, abinary flag stored within user or user group data may indicate whetherthe authenticated user is authorised to operate banknote sorter 230A. Ifthe user is not authorised they are denied access to the device at step2055. An alert may also be logged. If the user is authorised they areallowed to access the device at step 2060.

In certain embodiments, a single RFID reader may be provided for severaldevices. For example, in FIG. 20A only RFID reader 2010B may beprovided. In this case, client workstation 220A is used to authenticatethe user. After authentication authorisation data may be retrieved froma database and used to lock any devices connected to client workstation220A for which the user is not authorised; for example, banknote sorter230A and/or barcode or RFID reader 225.

The system and method of FIGS. 20A and 20B may be used as an additionalsecurity feature within the cash processing centre. For example, as wellas preventing non-personnel from accessing vault management systems, ina particular embodiment the system and method may be used to only allowaccess to employees during their working hours, denying access outsideof their official shift times. The system and method may also be used tocomply with health and safety provisions. For example, a user may onlybe authorised to use a particular device such as large counter 260 inFIG. 10 once they have received proper training.

The system and method may also be used to control the configuration ofdevices. For example, the authorisation data retrieved for anauthenticated user may be used to select and/or lock an appropriatebanknote processing program; an operator performing a note countoperation would not require denomination and/or authentication detectorson a banknote sorter, hence these detectors may be automaticallyswitched off based on authorisation data for the operator.Alternatively, the authorisation data may be used to implement the dualcontrol and module locking methods described above. For example, when asupervisor enters the proximity field associated with an operator'sclient workstation, the workstation screen may automatically prompt thesupervisor for their password and activate the dual controlconfiguration. Likewise, a deposit processing operator may only beauthorised to access a deposit processing module and be denied access toan order processing module. Such configuration could further be based ona number of conditions, for example an afternoon shift may be limited touse a particular sorting process, which may differ from the process usedby the morning shift. The user, and by extension the shift, may beidentified and authorised using the method of FIG. 20B, eliminating theneed to manually reset devices between shifts. In this case, the vaultmanagement server 210 may apply configuration rules based on dataavailable to it and received in step 2035.

The authorisation may also apply to physical access. In certainembodiments an RFID reader may be applied to a cage or trolley, as shownin FIGS. 15A and 15B. However, instead of detecting the presence of acontainer as shown in these Figures, readers 1530 may be used toauthenticate an operator and authorise access to the cage and/ortrolley. If access is allowed the cage or trolley may be unlockedautomatically, optionally for a predetermined time period. The cage ortrolley may also be locked again once an identified user leaves theproximity field of an associated RFID reader. Similar methods may alsoapply to physical areas of a large banknote counter or sorter, forexample a local RFID reader may authenticate a nearby operator and vaultprocessing server 210 may determine if they are authorised to accessinternal sections or compartments of the counter or sorter and, ifnecessary, unlock such sections or compartments.

Even though the above system and method was described in relation to anRFID badge 1610, it need not be limited to such a form. In an alternateor complimentary embodiment, the RFID chip may be embedded in a watch,wrist strap or bracelet worn by the operator or employee. In this case,a narrow field RFID reader may be placed underneath an input panel ofthe device, such as under a keyboard of client workstation 220A. Hence,when the operator interacts with the input panel, the watch, wrist strapor bracelet will come into close proximity to the RFID reader and theRFID chip may be read without requiring any further action or input fromthe operator. This makes the technology more acceptable to employees asthey do not have to alter their established routines to enable RFIDauthentication and authorisation. Alternatively, the RFID badge 1610 maybe swiped or passed underneath an RFID reader in the usual manner to login and out of the vault management system on a client workstation. RFIDcards may also be used with biometrics and fingerprint identity systems.By combining the RFID badge with one or more additional security systemsa manager can be confident that only authorized users may access thevault management system and thus be confident of the integrity of anyinformation being inputted into the system. Data associated with thelocation of the employees may also be used to track employees workinghours.

The above systems and methods have been described with relation to radiofrequency identification devices; however, such systems and methods mayalso be adapted to operate with other related wireless transmissionsystems using optical, infra-red or microwave wavebands, acoustictechnology such as ultrasound, mobile radio systems, cellulartechnology, and Bluetooth, ZigBee or Ultra-wideband (UWB) standards,amongst others.

Any of the methods described in this specification may be implemented insoftware using known software development techniques, in dedicatedhardware using appropriately configured logic units or in programmablehardware adapted to process digital instruction sets.

1. A method of providing information about a plurality of entitieswithin a cash processing centre, the method comprising: coupling a firstentity with a first wireless device; coupling a second entity with asecond wireless device; reading data associated with both the first andsecond wireless devices; pairing data associated with both the first andsecond wireless devices; and retrieving information concerning therelationship between the first entity and the second entity based on thepairing.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first entity comprises acontainer for storing articles of value; and the second entity comprisesstorage means for one or more containers; the method further comprising:storing data comprising the properties of one or more articles of value;associating said data with the first entity; storing the first entity onor within the second entity; and retrieving information comprising thecumulative properties of the articles stored on or within the secondentity based on the pairing.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: thefirst entity comprises one or more articles of value; and the secondentity comprises a unit adapted to store articles of value; the step ofretrieving information comprising: retrieving information indicatingthat the first entity is stored upon the second entity.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein: the first wireless device comprises a wirelesstransmitter configured to transmit a first identifier; the secondwireless device comprises a wireless receiver having a secondidentifier; and the step of reading data comprises: transmitting thefirst identifier from the wireless transmitter; receiving the firstidentifier using the wireless receiver; and reading both the receivedfirst identifier and the second identifier of the receiving device. 5.The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises: determiningsignal characteristics associated with the received identifier; usingthe first identifier, the second identifier and the signalcharacteristics to determine the location of the first entity.
 6. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises: receiving thefirst identifier using one or more additional wireless receiversassociated with respective additional entities, said wireless receivershaving respective identifiers; pairing the first identifier, secondidentifier and the one or more additional identifiers; and using thepairing to determine the location of the first entity.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, further comprising: determining signal characteristicsassociated with each received identifier; and using the signalcharacteristics together with the pairing to determine the location ofthe first entity.
 8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:repeating the method steps at regular intervals; and updating thelocation of the first entity.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein thewireless receivers comprise directional receivers and the location ofthe first entity is determined using triangulation.
 10. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the first entity is one of: a cage, a scanning device,an employee, one or more articles of value, a container, a trolley, or abanknote sorter.
 11. The method of claim 4, wherein the step ofretrieving information comprises: determining whether the first entityis authorised to be paired with the second entity; if not generating analert.
 12. The method of claim 4, wherein: the first entity comprises anoperator within the cash processing centre; and the step of retrievinginformation comprises: authenticating the operator using the firstidentifier.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein: the second entitycomprises a device for use in the cash processing centre; and the stepof retrieving information further comprises: if the operator isauthenticated, retrieving user data associated with the operator; basedon the user data, determining whether the operator is authorised to usethe device.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of retrievinginformation further comprises: if the operator is authorised, allowingaccess to the device, if not, denying access to the device.
 15. Themethod of claim 12, wherein if the operator is not authenticated and/orauthorised an alert is generated.
 16. The method of claim 13, whereinthe device comprises one of: a banknote counter or sorter, a clientcomputing device, or a handheld electronic device.
 17. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the step of determining whether the operator isauthorised to use the device further comprises: determining whether theoperator is authorised to use any further devices connected to thedevice; and if so, allowing access to the authorised further devices.18. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless devices comprise radiofrequency identification devices.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst entity belongs to a first group of entities and the second entitybelongs to a second group of entities.
 20. A system for providinginformation about plurality of entities within a cash processing centrecomprising: a first wireless device coupled to a first entity; a secondwireless device coupled to a second entity; and a processor adapted to:read data associated with both the first and second wireless devices;pair data associated with both the first and second wireless devices;and retrieve information concerning the relationship between the firstentity and the second entity based on the pairing.
 21. The system ofclaim 20, wherein: the first entity comprises a container for storingarticles of value; and the second entity comprises storage means for oneor more containers; the processor being further adapted to: retrieveinformation comprising the cumulative properties of the articles storedon or within the second entity based on the pairing.
 22. The system ofclaim 20, wherein the first entity comprises one or more articles ofvalue; and the second entity comprises a unit adapted to store articlesof value; the processor being further adapted to: retrieve informationindicating that the first entity is stored upon the second entity. 23.The system of claim 20, wherein: the first wireless device comprises awireless transmitter configured to transmit a first identifier; thesecond wireless device comprises a wireless receiver having a secondidentifier; and the processor being further adapted to: read a firstidentifier received from the second wireless device, together with thesecond identifier of said device, and pair said identifiers.
 24. Thesystem of claim 23, wherein the processor is further adapted to: receivesignal characteristics associated with the received first identifier;and process the first identifier, the second identifier and the signalcharacteristics to determine the location of the first entity.
 25. Thesystem of claim 24, wherein the system further comprises: one or moreadditional wireless receivers associated with respective additionalentities, said wireless receivers having respective additionalidentifiers; and the processor is further adapted to: receive one ormore copies of the first identifier as received by one or more of theadditional wireless receivers, together with the additional identifiersof said receivers; pair the first identifier, second identifier and theone or more additional identifiers; and determine the location of thefirst entity using the pairing.
 26. The system of claim 25, wherein theprocessor is further adapted to: receive signal characteristics fromeach wireless receiver; and process the signal characteristics togetherwith the pairing to determine the location of the first entity.
 27. Thesystem of claim 24, wherein the processor is adapted to: repeat theprocessing steps at regular intervals to dynamically update the locationof the first entity.
 28. The system of claim 24, wherein the wirelessreceivers comprise directional receivers and the processor is adapted todetermine the location of the first entity using triangulation.
 29. Thesystem of claim 24, wherein the first entity is one of: a cage, ascanning device, an employee, one or more articles of value, acontainer, a trolley, or a banknote sorter.
 30. The system of claim 23,further comprising: a database comprising authorisation data; whereinthe processor is adapted to: access the database to determine whetherthe first entity is authorised to be paired with the second entity; andif not generate an alert.
 31. The system of claim 23, wherein: the firstentity comprises an operator within the cash processing centre; thesystem further comprises a database comprising authentication data; andthe processor is further adapted to access the database to authenticatethe operator using the first identifier.
 32. The system of claim 31,wherein: the second entity comprises a device for use in the cashprocessing centre; the database further comprises authorisation data;and the processor is further adapted to: retrieve authorisation dataassociated with the operator from the database if the operator isauthenticated; based on the authorisation data, determine whether theoperator is authorised to use the device.
 33. The system of claim 32,wherein the processor is further adapted to: allow access to the deviceif the operator is authorised, or deny access to the device if theoperator is not authorised.
 34. The system of claim 31, wherein theprocessor is further adapted to generate an alert if the operator is notauthenticated and/or authorised.
 35. The system of claim 32, wherein thedevice comprises one of: a banknote counter or sorter, a clientcomputing device, or a handheld electronic device.
 36. The system ofclaim 32, wherein the system further comprises: one or more furtherdevices connectable to the second entity; and the processor is furtheradapted to: based on the authorisation data, determine whether theoperator is authorised to use any of said further devices; and allowaccess to any connected further devices if the operator is authorised.37. The system of claim 20, wherein the wireless devices comprise radiofrequency identification devices.
 38. The system of claim 20, whereinthe first entity belongs to a first group of entities and the secondentity belongs to a second group of entities.
 39. A storage unit forcontainers for use in a cash processing centre, the containerscontaining one or more articles of value, the storage unit comprising: astorage area for one or more containers, the storage unit by comprising:one or more wireless receivers coupled to the storage unit configured towirelessly read data from a wireless identification device and outputdata accordingly; wherein, in use, each container is coupled to awireless identification device, the wireless identification devicestoring data associated with properties of the articles of value withinthe container; and in use, the properties of any articles of valuestored upon the storage unit may be retrieved by processing data outputby the one or more wireless receivers devices.
 40. A method of trackingarticles of value within a cash processing centre comprising: a.coupling one or more articles of value with a first wirelessidentification device; b. coupling a unit adapted to store articles ofvalue with a second wireless identification device; c. reading dataassociated with both the first and second wireless devices; and d.recording that the one or more articles of value are stored upon theunit based on the read data.
 41. A system for authenticating a userwithin a cash processing centre comprising: a first wireless devicecoupled to a device to be operated by the user; a second wireless devicecoupled to the user for identification; a processor adapted to: readdata from the first wireless device comprising identification datareceived from the second wireless device; using the identification dataauthenticate the user with regard to the device to be operated by auser.
 42. The system of claim 41, wherein the processor is furtheradapted to determine if the user is authorise to operate the device tobe operated: if so allowing the user to operate the device, if notpreventing the user from operating the device.